Sand Rock holds off West End, 20-18

SAND ROCK – The Sand Rock Wildcats held on in the final seconds for a dramatic 20-18 Class 2A, Region 6 football win over West End of Walnut Grove at Russell Jacoway Stadium Thursday night, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The Patriots (4-4, 1-4) scored a touchdown with 23 seconds remaining on quarterback Marty Wooten’s 3-yard pass to Trevor Willett to cut the Wildcat lead to two. On the 2-point try, Wooten’s pass intended for Kyle Edwards fell incomplete, allowing the Wildcats (3-4, 2-3) to escape with the victory.

Sand Rock quarterback Ace Ashley completed 13-of-21 pass attempts for 133 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown strike to Jacob Cornejo with 1:11 remaining in the first half. Cornejo caught three passes for 56 yards and the score. He also ran for 55 yards on nine carries with a touchdown – a 3-yard run to give Sand Rock a 7-0 lead with 2:59 to go in the first quarter.

West End got the scoreboard on Isaiah Roberson’s 2-yard touchdown run. The extra point failed, keeping the score at 7-6 in favor of the Wildcats.

A Wooten-to-Thad Pearce 31-yard touchdown connection with 3:51 remaining in the first half gave West End a 12-7 edge. The try for two failed.

Sand Rock regained the lead at the 1:11 mark of the second quarter when Ashley hit Cornejo on an 18-yard pass. The point after gave the Wildcats a 14-12 lead at halftime.

It remained 14-12 until late in the fourth quarter. Ashley scored on a 3-yard run with 3:44 left in the game to give Sand Rock a 20-12 lead, but the Patriots had one more drive left in them to give the Wildcats a finish.

Wooten finished the game completing 12-of-29 pass attempts for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Pearce caught three passes for 82 yards and a score. Willett also had three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown. Roberson led the Patriot ground game with 73 yards on 28 carries with a score.

Carl Goodwin led the Wildcat tacklers with six stops. Bradley Jackson and Logan Crider both had five tackles. Crider also had an interception.

Ethan Clanton collected four tackles and an interception, while Colton Cash had a pair of stops and a pick.

Sand Rock travels to Spring Garden next Friday.

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