The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
On Friday, October 10, the West Central Heat traveled to Flanagan to face the Flanagan/Cornell Falcons in a high-octane eight-man football showdown.
Fueled by two critical interceptions and a standout performance from running back Aidan Garner, the Heat emerged victorious with a 40-32 win, extending their winning streak to six games.
The game started with West Central taking possession at their own 36-yard line. Garner, returning after missing the previous two and a half games, wasted no time making his presence felt.
On his third carry, he broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run and added a two-point conversion on a pitch from quarterback Colton Spence, giving the Heat an early 8-0 lead.
The Falcons picked up a first down on their opening drive but stalled after a strong defensive stand by the Heat.
Jordan Kane and Keaton Ruebush tackled the Falcons’ quarterback for no gain on first down, and two incomplete passes forced a punt. The Heat took over at their 20 after the punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback.
A promising Heat drive, sparked by an 18-yard run from Cameron Robinson, was derailed by a false start penalty, leading to a punt. A mishandled snap on the punt attempt gave Flanagan/Cornell prime field position at the Heat’s 20-yard line.
However, the Heat defense stood tall, with Cody Wade disrupting a fourth-and-goal pass from the Falcons’ quarterback Brezdyn Simons, resulting in a turnover on downs.
Seizing the momentum, Garner exploded for a 92-yard touchdown run on the Heat’s first offensive play of the second quarter. A play-action pass from Spence to Cooper Gibb for the two-point conversion extended the Heat’s lead to 16-0.
The Falcons answered quickly with a 58-yard halfback pass from running back Logan Ruddy to Riley Wallace, cutting the score to 16-8 with 9:45 left in the half.
The teams traded blows, with Flanagan/Cornell tying the game at 16-16 on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Simons to Grant Wissen with 3:41 remaining in the second quarter.
Undeterred, the Heat marched down the field, with Garner’s 11-yard run and a 22-yard pass from Spence to Cooper Gibb setting up a 14-yard touchdown run by Garner with 28 seconds left.
Garner tacked on the two-point conversion to make it 24-16 for West Central.
Graham Kelly’s sack and subsequent interception off a pressured Simons pass gave the Heat possession at the Falcons’ 21 with just 9 seconds remaining in the half.
Garner hauled in a 20-yard pass, setting up a one-yard touchdown plunge by Kelly as time expired, with Garner adding the two-point conversion to give West Central a 32-16 halftime lead.
The Falcons opened the second half with a lengthy drive, consuming most of the third quarter and scoring on a one-yard run by Simons, making it 32-24.
The Heat offense struggled, going three-and-out, but their defense forced a Falcons punt.
Despite moving inside the Falcons’ 35, the Heat turned the ball over on downs with 7:38 left.
Flanagan capitalized with another long drive, tying the game at 32-32 on a one-yard Simons touchdown run with 2:45 remaining.
After a holding penalty stalled the Heat’s next drive, Spence punted to the Falcons’ 31 with 57 seconds left.
On the next play, Wade’s pressure on Simons led to an interception by Kane, giving the Heat the ball at the Falcons’ 40.
Garner gave the Heat the lead with a 40-yard touchdown sweep, his fourth score of the night, and Kelly powered in the two-point conversion for a 40-32 lead with 42 seconds left.
The Falcons’ final drive, aided by a Heat pass interference penalty, ended with Spence intercepting a Hail Mary pass as time expired, securing the Heat’s victory.
“We held a formation until the second half purposefully, and we thought we could get something with it. The play we really thought we would get them on was a sweep,” noted Head Coach Jason Kirby on the game-winning touchdown play.
On the Heat’s second-half offensive struggles, Coach Kirby noted, “They defend us so well. It’s so frustrating to play them because they don’t let our linemen get off the line of scrimmage.
“They do such a good job of being physical with us up front and their kids play tight techniques.”
Garner led the way with 238 rushing yards on 18 carries, four touchdowns, and a 23-yard reception.
Kelly contributed 16 yards and a touchdown, while Robinson added 26 yards. Spence completed 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards and rushed for 6 yards, with Gibb hauling in a 22-yard reception.
The Heat improved to 6-1 and will travel to Bushnell to face the 1-6 Spartans on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
They return home on October 24 to host back-to-back defending state champions Amboy for Senior Night, also at 7:00 p.m.