The Airline Vikings defeated the Huntington Raiders 34-27 in a wild finish in their regular-season finale Thursday night at M.D. Ray Field at Airline Stadium.
Airline finished the regular season 7-3 overall and 5-3 in District 1-5A and will enter the playoffs with a four-game winning streak.
The Vikings are No. 18 in the non-select Division I power rankings but that could change after all the Week 10 results across the state are in. The Nos. 5-16 teams in the final rankings host first-round playoff games.
Huntington closed its season 3-7 and 3-5.
The game was tied at 21 at halftime. While both teams threatened, neither scored in the second half until the final two minutes.
After Airline stopped Huntington on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Kenny Darby took a pitch from Chase Williams five yards deep in the end zone.
The Vikings offensive line opened a big hole on the left side. Darby sprinted through it and went 99 yards for a touchdown.
The PAT was partially blocked and Airline led 27-21.
That lead didn’t last long. Huntington’s Justin Whitaker completed a 60-yard pass to the Airline 13. One play later he completed a 13-yard pass for a touchdown.
But the Vikings blocked the extra-point kick and the score was knotted at 27 with 1:33 left.
Darby returned the kickoff to the 50. Williams promptly hit a wide-open Preston Hughes for a touchdown.
Hughes made a spin move then sprinted past the defender. He caught the perfectly thrown pass at about the 7-yard line. Max Tinkis kicked his fourth PAT.
The Vikings defense then made sure that the Raiders didn’t threaten on their final possession.
The Airline defense yielded some yardage but it also came up with some big plays.
Jaylan Bradley returned an interception 50 yards for the Vikings’ first touchdown.
In the third quarter, Airline forced Huntington to settle for a field-goal attempt on a drive to the 10. It was missed.
In a drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters, the Raiders drove from their 15 to the Airline 20. But the Vikings got the stop on fourth-and-2.
Then, of course, there was the big stop at the goalline after Huntington had a first-and-goal at the 10.
After Bradley’s pick-six, the Raiders scored two straight touchdowns, including an 80-yard pass, to go up 14-7.
The Vikings tied it on a 13-yard pass from Williams to Darby on fourth-and-8 early in the fourth quarter.
A 42-yards pass from Williams to Darby set up the Vikings’ third touchdown, a 1-yard sneak by Williams.
But Huntington tied it at 21.on a 22-yard touchdown pass just before the half.
Note: Airline’s stats will be added when they are available.