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Sports

November 24, 2009

Indians eke out 2-point victory

By Austin Bishop

CUMBERLAND — At this point in the season style points don't count for much, it's results that matters.

And it's results the Ackerman Indians got, as they put together a clutch 83-yard drive late in the game to take a 14-12 win over East Webster in the third round of the MHSAA Class 2A State Playoffs on Friday night.

"We were definitely happy we could make that drive," said AHS head coach Adam Dillinger. "Our kinds kind of knew it was the last chance. They found a way to make it happen."

Shawn Stricklin ran the ball in from nine yards out with 46 seconds left to tie the game at 12-12, then following an East Webster penalty ran in the two-point conversion.

"We had been having some trouble in our kicking game and we kind of felt like we had the momentum, so we decided to just go for it," Dillinger said.

Even after the two-point conversion the game wasn't over. The homestanding Wolverines, who finished the game at 7-7 on the season, quickly moved down the field and were able to line up for a 44-yard field goal on the last play of the game.

The snap couldn't be handled and the Wolverines never got a chance to get the kick off.

Next up for the 14-0 Indians is the MHSAA Class 2A North State Championship Game in Ackerman against 14-0 West Bolivar on Friday night.

"They are the No. 1 team in the state for a reason," Dillinger said of the Eagles, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 2A by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger and the Associated Press. The Indians are ranked No. 1 by the Mississippi Prep Sports Source.

"They have a lot of athletes and play really well," said Dillinger, who noted you couldn't just focus on one aspect of West Bolivar's offensive attack. "They are real balanced and can do what they need to do. They can run it and pass it."

While Ackerman was rallying to beat East Webster, West Bolivar was winning a 13-12 thriller over Baldwyn.

Ackerman took a 6-0 lead against East Webster thanks to a 7-yard run by John Cummings, only to have Wolverines tie the game on a 4-yard run by Timarkis Bell. The touchdown was set up by a 6-yard pass on fourth down from Ledrick Patterson to Jaquirium Banks.

The Wolverines used a huge 87-yard touchdown play to take a 12-6 lead just two plays into the second half. Patterson ran the ball from his own 13 to the Ackerman 10 on an option play and just before he was tackled pitched it to Demetrius O'Briant, who raced the final 10 yards for the score.

Cummings finished the night with 20 carried for 86 yards to lead the Indians, while Stricklin had 11 attempts for 85 yards.

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