Heartache at Homecoming: Sipsey Valley Upsets Central, Crushing Playoff Hopes
Heartache at homecoming for the Central High Falcons(3-6, 2-4), as the Sipsey Valley Bears(3-6, 2-4) pull the upset 13-12, crushing Central’s hopes for a playoff spot.
“We want to work hard so the next play can be better than the last and grind to get better… Our goal each day is to get better, work harder and I’m super proud of these guys. They got the outcome they deserve,” said Sipsey Valley head coach Scott Marchant.
After each team exchanged picks on both of their opening drives. Sipsey Valley got on the board first, with a 76-yard touchdown pass to WR Wyatt Bailey, taking the early 7-0 lead.
However, the Central defense knew the high stakes, picking off QB Ryan Barger two more times on the Bears following two drives. Central drove down the field with 2:31 left in the half, scoring on a 25-yard pass to WR Christian Bishop, on a 4th-and-1 with 4 seconds left in the half. Sipsey Valley blocked the extra point, and kept the 7-6 lead going into halftime.
“They didn’t quit, they fought hard; we just didn’t make the plays we needed to when it mattered most,” said Central Falcons head coach Rodney Bivens Jr.
Central continued to struggle offensively, with two 3-and-outs and a turnover on downs on their three drives out of the half. Sipsey Valley went down the field on their first possession, scoring on a 4th-and-Goal from the 6, extending their lead 13-6, after a blocked extra point attempt.
The Falcons, however, persisted. After a forced punt and an interception by Bears QB Ryan Barger deep in their own territory, Central scored on a 10-yard pass to WR Christian Bishop. Central decided to go for the two-point conversion, instead of a kick, and missed it, trailing by 1 with 7:15 in the game.
“We weren’t kicking extra points very well, so we made the decision to go for two,” said Bivens.
Barger would go on to throw another interception, his fifth of the night. Unfortunately, the Central Falcons could not find a rhythm on offense, having to punt after a three-and-out, and their gassed defense could not find another stop. Sipsey Valley pulled the upset 13-12.
Next Friday, Central hosts Farfield (5-3, 4-2), and Sipsey Valley hosts Northside(2-6, 1-4). Both games kick off at 7 p.m. CST, and both are the last regular season games.
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