Jackets Lose 22-21 Heartbreaker to Cloudland in Last Seconds
By Terry Futrell
What if? Those words are likely to echo through the minds of Coalfield players, coaches, and fans for years to come. Taking a 21-14 lead with 5:30 to go in the game, all the Jackets had to do was stop the Cloudland Highlanders one more time to advance to the Class A TSSAA State Semifinals. Whether you call it fate, bad luck, or simply determined play by the Cloudland Highlanders, Class A Mr. Football Semifinalist Seth Birchfield crossed the goal line with 1.4 seconds to go to bring Cloudland within one point. Always going for the two-point conversion, Birchfield then burst through the left side of the line to give Cloudland a 22-21 margin and seal the Highlanders first victory over Coalfield since 2001.
It is difficult to imagine a more competitive game at any level of football. Though the two teams played with vastly contrasting styles, it was clear from the outset that each team was determined to win and advance in the playoffs. As usual, Coalfield’s offense was balanced and used a variety of pass and run plays. Two major obstacles hindered the Jackets’ attack. The poor condition of the field made it tough for Coalfield receivers to run their deep passing routes. The size and speed of pursuit of Cloudland linebackers also made it very difficult for Coalfield ball carriers to run the ball outside, which has been a staple of the Coalfield offense throughout the season.
Cloudland’s offensive approach was based solely on running the ball with no pretense of passing. Typically playing without a quarterback under center and with no wideouts, Cloudland used a compact formation that gave them numerical superiority on the line. Highlander running backs would take a direct snap from center and hit the small hole created by double-teaming a Coalfield defensive lineman. This placed the burden on Coalfield linebackers, who generally took 3-4 yards to tackle the hard-running Cloudland backs. Cloudland was content to gain 3-5 yards on each carry, with an occasional breakthrough run for more yardage. It was an approach that ate time off the clock and that also kept Coalfield’s potent offense off the field.
Cloudland received the opening kickoff and executed a 7-play, 70-yard drive to take an early 8-0 lead. The drive ate 4:20 off the clock. Coalfield immediately responded with a 5-play, 61-yard drive to score, closing the gap to 8-7. Coalfield’s drive was highlighted by a 12-yard pass from Cole Hines to Eli Roberts, a 12-yard run by Hines, and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Hines to Canaan Bowling. The drive took only 2:48 off the clock.
The rest of the first half was dominated by strong defense by both teams. The Jackets had two more drives in the half, driving first to the Cloudland 12-yard line, and then to the Cloudland 22-yard line. The first drive advanced on a 17-yard run by Landon Lowe and a 34-yard pass from Hines to Lowe. The second Coalfield drive began with an 11-yard run by Bowling and was highlighted by a 29-yard pass from Hines to Levi Mullins. On each drive, the Cloudland defense stiffened, and Coalfield gave up the ball on downs. While the Highlanders had three additional possessions in the first half, the tough Jacket defense held Cloudland to a total of 78 yards on the three drives. The Highlanders never advanced beyond midfield on two of the drives.
Coalfield took the opening kickoff of the second half and went 3-and-out. Cloudland took the punt at their own 25-yard line and drive 75 yards in 10 plays to score, eating 5:14 off the clock. Coalfield stopped the 2-point conversion attempt and the Highlanders led 14-7.
The Jackets took the following kickoff at their own 40-yard line and drove 60 yards in five plays to tie the score at 14-14. The drive advanced with a 14-yard pass from Hines to Landon Galyon and ended with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Hines to Levi Mullins. The drive consumed only 2:11 of clock time.
On their following possession, the Highlanders drive 70 yards in 12 plays to the Coalfield 8-yard line where the Jacket defense forced a fumble. Levi Mullins scooped up the fumble and raced 92 yards for an apparent Coalfield score, only to have the ball called back to the Coalfield 46-yard line because of a block-in-the-back penalty that occurred far behind the ball. Undeterred, the potent Jacket offense marched 54 yards in 5 plays to score and take a 21-14 lead with 5:30 remaining in the game. The drive included three big plays – a 17-yard pass from Hines to Galyon, a 13-yard run by Bowling, and a 16-yard touchdown pass from Hines to Galyon.
Then began 5:28 of the most suspenseful football ever witnessed as the Highlanders started their final drive at their own 20-yard line. The Highlanders slowly, meticulously executed their game plan, alternating carries by Seth Birchfield and Caleb Sluder. At one point in the drive, Cloudland was faced with a 4th down and 3 yards to go when Birchfield ripped off an 11-yard gain. The Jacket defense stopped Cloudland runners twice at the line of scrimmage and generally held them to runs of less than five yards. In eleven plays, the Highlanders advanced to the Coalfield 29-yard line.
At this point, the unexpected happened – Cloudland running back Seth Birchfield threw a 23-yard pass to Gage McKinney, the only Highlander passing attempt of the game. Flanked by two Coalfield defenders, McKinney held on to the ball along with one of the Coalfield defenders. By rule, possession defaulted to the offense and the Highlanders had a first down at the Coalfield 6-yard line. Sluder carried the ball for 3 yards, followed by a Coalfield encroachment penalty that moved the ball to the 1-yard line. Cloudland was then charged with a false start penalty, moving the ball back to the 6-yard line with only seconds remaining. Birchfield then did what he does best – faking left, he raced around the right side and into the end zone for a touchdown with 1.4 seconds remaining. Coalfield’s lead was cut to 21-20.
It is difficult to imagine any fan who was present or watching the game online being able to breath at this point. The outcome of the game clearly rested on Cloudland’s upcoming 2-point conversion attempt. After a timeout, the Highlanders snapped the ball to Birchfield, who broke through the Coalfield line into the end zone to give the Highlanders a 22-21 lead. All that remained was the formality of an on-side kick by Cloudland to end the game with a hard-fought 22-21 victory over Coalfield and a trip to the TSSAA Semifinals.
While there are significant differences in many team stats, these resulted from the vastly different styles of play. Coalfield’s big-play, balanced attack took only 18:20 of clock time, while Cloudland’s short-yardage, grind-it-out running offense ate up 29:39 of clock time. Coalfield ran only 36 offensive plays, whereas Cloudland executed 60 plays, which took its toll on the Coalfield defense.
While Coalfield players and fans were disappointed with the loss, a phenomenal game was played by both teams. Clearly, it was the best executed football game we have seen all season. The way that both teams poured their hearts and souls into pursuit of excellence should make fans from both schools proud. These young men delivered far more than any of us could reasonably expect.