Ty Keyes had less than a minute to work with.
The freshman quarterback’s goal was simple: “get the ball close enough and let my kicker make a play.”
Junior field goal specialist Kenner Todd didn’t let Keyes, nor his other Taylorsville teammates, down.
The snap, set-up and contact with the ball came together beautifully for a 37-yard game-winning field goal Thursday night to lift Taylorsville past Bay Springs, 42-40.
“I was nervous, I’m not going to lie,” said Todd. “I had a bad game honestly. I missed two earlier point-after-attempts, and that put us in a hole.
“I just focused on my steps at the end and put it through. I actually slipped on the kick. I knew I had a good hit on it; I just didn’t know if it was far enough. Then I saw it cross and I have never felt that much joy in my life.”
The stunning game-winner by Todd as the clock drained to zero gives Taylorsville a 1-0 start in Region 5-2A. The Tartars improve to 6-1 on the season.
“We work this (last-minute) drill every day, all the time,” said Taylorsville head coach Chuck Robertson. “Our kids never panicked. We knew exactly what to do and how to finish the game. I was really proud of the outcome and the way that it was. Our offensive coordinator did a good job of preparing us for that moment.”
Final Quarter
A late touchdown in the final minutes of the third quarter gave Taylorsville a one-score lead, 33-26.
Four minutes later the lead was pushed to 13-points as junior running back Carlton Williams scored from 21 yards out on a designed rushing play to the right side.
But Bay Springs didn’t lay down.
Junior running back Jamarious Hosey narrowed Taylorsville’s lead to one-score on a three-yard run with 2:34 to go in the game.
After a successful on-side kick and recovery of the ball by Jacorrio Ducksworth, sophomore quarterback Adrian Cole hooked up with Ducksworth on a 50-yard TD strike that gave Bay Springs the lead, 40-39. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Keyes then lead Taylorsville downfield with under two minutes remaining, even converting on fourth down once, to give Todd a chance to kick the game-winner.
“Our defense, even though we gave up those last few scores, understood what was going on and what needed to be done tonight,” said Robertson. “You always work the two-minute drill, even though you may never use it, you practice it so that when it works out, you feel good about it.”
Player of the Game
Keyes came into Thursday night’s Region 5-2A opener for Taylorsville as the state’s second-leading passer according to MaxPreps.com with 1,524 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added 348 yards, and four TD’s in the win as he inches closer to the 2,000-yard mark on the season.
“Keyes ain’t no ninth-grader anymore,” Robertson said jokingly. “He’s a mature young man now. He never panics, and he is always smiling and so positive. He is fun to be around, and he’s a good kid.”
He finished the night 23-of-30. Two of his TD strikes fell in the hands of junior wide receiver Raven Arrington, who finished the game with 99 yards on six catches.
“I live for moment’s like this,” said Keyes. “Coach told us to come over here and get the W, so that is what we did.”
Where they go from here?
Taylorsville plays host to Lumberton next Friday night.
Bay Springs, who falls to 3-4 on the season, 0-1 in Region 5-2A will travel to Clarkdale in Week 8.
Kickoff for both games is at 7 p.m.
