With Friday night’s game against the Pulaski Academy Bruins in Little Rock, Ark., hanging in the balance, the Airline defense took the field with 2:25 to play.
Pulaski had just stopped the Vikings short of a first down on fourth-and-1 at the Bruins 42. Airline led 40-35.
On first down, the Bruins did something they rarely did in the game, run the ball. Airline stuffed a draw play for a 5-yard loss. But on the next play, a 20-yard pass moved the ball to the Airline 43.
Caleb Sullivan then zipped a pass over the middle. Airline’s Abreion Cooper hit the intended receiver just after the ball arrived. The ball bounced up the air. TJ Heard intercepted it at the 37 and returned it to the Pulaski 35.
Airline then ran out the clock. The Vikings improved to 3-0. The Bruins dropped to 1-2.
“He’s a program-type kid that’s working really hard to get in the game,” Airline Head Coach Justin Scogin said Saturday of Heard. “I thought it was awesome he had the game-winning interception last night. It was a great thing for him because of how hard he’s worked to get where he’s at.”
The game was a back-and-forth battle. Pulaski passed on almost every down.
Sullivan had a good night, passing for three touchdowns and running for one. But the Airline defense had some big stops on fourth down and forced four turnovers.
Desmian Curry’s interception stopped a drive deep in Airline territory in the first quarter. The Vikings also recovered a fumble inside their territory in the first and on first-and-goal at the 9 on a bad snap in the second.
“I think we’re we’re finally kind of hitting our stride,” Scogin said. “I think the biggest thing was just that how hard they played. That was the thing that stuck out the most. We did some really good things.
“We had four turnovers, but the kids just got after it, man. They played so hard on defense, on both sides and special teams. We know we’re going to score points, but when the defense is playing like that against one of the better teams that we’ll see all year offensively 100 percent
then we’re going to be able to win some games.”
Pulaski scored late in the first half to take a 21-20 lead.
After stopping the Bruins on fourth-and-10 at the Pulaski 35 in the third quarter, the Vikings regained the lead on the next play. Chase Williams, who threw five TD passes, hit Preston Hughes with a quick pass in the flat. He made a few moves, sprinted to the end zone and Airline led 27-21..
The Bruins answered with an 82-yard touchdown drive keyed by a long pass and led 28-27 with 7:33 left in the third quarter.
Airline came right back, driving 78 yards. Chris Hart turned a short pass into a 33-yard touchdown. After a penalty moved the ball back, Airline failed on a two-point conversion try and led 33-28.
The Vikings then stopped a fourth-and-4 at the Pulaski 23. On fourth-and-8 from the 25, Williams hit Hart in the end zone. The PAT was good, extending Airline’s lead to 40-28 late in the third.
The Vikings then recovered an onside kick, something the Bruins were unable to do on several attempts. But they failed to convert a fourth down.
After forcing a punt, the Vikings failed again on fourth down at the Pulaski 32. The Bruins scored on a 19-yard pass with 3:42 left, setting up the dramatic finish.
Airline scored all three of its first-half touchdowns in the first quarter.
Terrance Hays, who had a big night at receiver, scored on a 3-yard run after a 14-yard run by Hart. Caleb Nunn scored on a 19-yard catch and run. Williams hit Justin Woodfork for a 44-yard TD.
Scogin said Airline’s ability to recover the onside kicks was a key factor in the win.
“Coach (Schirra) Fields worked so hard with with Coach (Miles) Landingham, and really kind of all of our defensive staff has kind of pitched in as well, but, man, Coach Fields worked so hard on special teams and last night it really showed up in a big way.
“Matt Moore, I think, had two onside recoveries. Derrian Milligan had one. We did a really good job of covering their kicks and the onside attempts and all the funny stuff. I was real proud of that unit as well. And we did a good job of stopping them deep when we kicked it to them.”
Airline hosts Franklin Parish Friday. The Patriots (2-1) defeated Madison Friday night.