Father Ryan’s Jackson Byrd scored off a fake field goal on the game’s last play, leading Father Ryan to stunning 34-31 win over Ravenwood on Friday night.
With the Fighting Irish trailing by 11, Byrd scored a touchdown, and a 2-point conversion pulled the Fighting Irish to within 31-28 with 7:33 left.
In the game’s final seconds, Father Ryan then lined up to attempt a 40-yard field goal from the left hash mark.
Byrd, stationed as an upback, pivoted around, took a pitch from the kick holder. He caught the ball around the 32, and looped around to his right, where he had all kinds of room. After encountering a defender around the 5, Byrd did a 360-degree turn through contact, got through more traffic, and dove inside the left pylon for the game winner.
Byrd’s 9-yard scoring run had earlier pulled the Fighting Irish to within a point early in the third quarter, but Ravenwood’s Sam French answered with a field goal to push the Raptors’ lead to 17-13.
Ravenwood added to that lead late in the third quarter when Miller Powell caught a touchdown pass.
Ravenwood’s Brian Garcia hit Nick Stallcup with a touchdown pass, and Ravenwood led 31-20 near the end of the third quarter.
Anthony Holmes’s 5-yard run and French’s point-after gave the Raptors a 7-6, first-quarter lead. That came after Father Ryan’s Jackson Byrd scored on a 1-yard run, with the 2-point try failing.
Later in the half, linebacker Anthony McCarthy forced a fumble and the Raptors recovered deep in Fighting Irish territory. That set up another Holmes touchdown for a 14-6 advantage.
Father Ryan quarterback Seamus O’Connell scored with 47 seconds left to cut the lead to 14-6.
Ravenwood goes to Dickson County next week, while Father Ryan travels to Ensworth.