The most common football cliché to describe Columbia’s Friday night journey to North Forrest would be “a tale of two halves.”
Columbia (2-1) led North Forrest (1-2) 21-0 heading into halftime, but the Eagles stormed back to score 24 unanswered points in the second half to down the Wildcats.
While the scoreboard may have indicated that it was a game of two halves, the game was actually highly competitive for all four quarters.
In the first half, both teams turned it over three times and had two back-breaking penalties that either derailed their own drives or extended the opposition’s drives. Both teams moved the ball well throughout the first half. The only difference was that the Wildcats finished off the drives when they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, while the Eagles struggled to score in the red zone.
Despite the 21-point halftime lead, Columbia wasn’t playing that much better than North Forrest. The scoreboard made it feel that way, though. Columbia’s fans and sideline had the air of a team ready to run away with the game to begin the second half, while North Forrest’s fans seemed dejected. It didn’t take long for that to change.
The game began with a back-and-forth feel to it as Rafael Luter was intercepted by A.J. Brown, Columbia’s defense forced a punt and Devin McCullough picked off Daylyn Croom. Taveoungh Brown gave the scoreboard its first action of the night as found pay dirt from 12 yards out to give Columbia a 7-0 lead with two minutes remaining in the first quarter after Harrison Foxworth’s PAT.
North Forrest then had a good drive going, reaching the Wildcats 11-yard line, but Brown picked off Croom and returned it 100 yards to the house. However, Brown’s return was negated by a block in the back penalty. Columbia continued to hurt itself when its drive was halted by a Kentrel Bullock fumble that was scooped up by the Eagles.
Then the tide turned. The Wildcats forced a punt and Bullock got redemption, taking off for a 72-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Foxworth’s PAT attempt sliced wide left as the Wildcats took a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter.
On North Forrest’s first play of the ensuing drive, Jermaine Barnes intercepted Croom and returned the ball 20 yards to North Forrest’s 25-yard line. Two plays later, Bullock broke into the second level, split the safeties and scored his second touchdown of the night from 14 yards out. Luter capped off the drive by breaking a tackle to convert the two-point conversion and give Columbia a 21-0 lead with 6:41 remaining in the first half.
The Eagles marched right back down the field and faced a fourth-and-goal inside Columbia’s 10-yard line trying to get on the board before the half ended. They tried a quick pass into the flat, but Cameron Keys came up with a big hit for a tackle for loss, ending the threat.
North Forrest received the ball to start the second half and wasted no time getting back into the game. Croom tossed a 6-yard touchdown, then ran in the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 21-8. Then Luter was intercepted by Karrenton Earl, who returned it down to the Columbia 1-yard line on the Wildcats ensuing possession. Croom plunged in on a quarterback draw, and the Eagles converted on the two-point conversion to make it 21-16 midway through the third quarter.
After Columbia turned the ball over on downs and North Forrest punted, Bullock lost his third fumble of the night, gifting the Eagles with a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. However, it appeared as if the Wildcats were going to withstand the crucial turnover, forcing the Eagles into a fourth-and-20.
Croom was pressured up the middle and was forced to scramble, and ended up throwing a wild pass that was broken up by the Wildcats. However, after Croom released the ball he was blasted by a Columbia defensive lineman that resulted in a roughing the passer penalty, which gave the Eagles a first down and renewed life. Croom was injured on the play and replaced by receiver Leon Jones.
With Croom out and Jones in, North Forrest head coach Anthony Dillon called three consecutive quarterback draws, giving the appearance that he didn’t trust his new signal caller to throw the football. But he was really lulling the Columbia defense to sleep. On the fourth play with Jones at the helm, he launched a beautiful fade to the corner of the end zone that was hauled in for a 25-yard touchdown. The Eagles punched in the two-point conversion to take a 24-21 lead with 4:55 remaining.
Columbia would then turn the ball over on downs, but its defense came up with a big sack on the Eagles ensuing possession to force a punt. The Wildcats had one last shot to steal the game back with 64 yards to go and 17 seconds on the clock. Luter hit Brown for an 11-yard gain, then spiked the ball to set up the final play.
Columbia head coach James Harvey inserted backup quarterback Javon Moses and moved Luter out to receiver. Moses took the snap and threw a lateral to Luter, who launched a deep ball from the left sideline to the middle of the field intended for Jameson Kelly. The double pass was batted down, clinching the game for the Eagles.
“You go into halftime up 21 and you’re preaching that you have to come back out and finish it — finish, finish, finish,” Harvey said following the game. “We came back out and started turning the ball over — putting it on the ground with fumbling and throwing interceptions — that’s never good. It gives the guys on the other sideline a little life. The momentum changed. It was a tough one to lose.”
The Wildcats have no room to dwell on the loss as they will be at home Friday night to take on a tough, 3-0 Perry Central squad that is coming off a 21-7 road win over Pass Christian.
“We just have to get back to work,” Harvey said. “We’ll watch some film and get a plan together.”
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Pictured Above: Joey Croom leads the way for quarterback Rafael Luter. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
