Jets stung by Bees in 2OT heartbreak loss
Sep. 29—Cumberland County Middle School finished their season just points away from a win in double overtime Saturday, falling to Upperman Middle School 38-36.
They finished the season 2-5, but that record belies their performance on the field.
"That was our third overtime game of the year," coach Dewayne McGhee said. "We won one of those and lost two, including today.
"Those can go either way. It's a play or two, just like today. We were just short of triple overtime on that last play."
Cumberland County started the game strong. The defense picked off a pass on the second play to turn the ball over to the Jets around their 30-yard line. They scored with 4:21 left in the first eight-minute quarter. The two-point conversion put Cumberland County up 8-0.
The teams were locked in battle for the next several plays, with Upperman moving down the field a few yards at a time until they managed to break through the defensive line and run nearly 40 yards to the 12-yard line. The Middle School Bees scored with 45 seconds left in the first quarter. With the two points after good, the score stood tied at 8-8.
Upperman was quick to take action in the second quarter, scoring just 10 seconds after the start of play, taking the lead 16-8.
Cumberland County regrouped and tied the game with a touchdown by Rhett Sharpe with just over 6 minutes left int he half. The teams went to halftime with a 16-16 score.
With Upperman in possession of the ball at the start of the third quarter, the Cumberland County defense worked to stop their progress. The Jets made a big stop with Upperman at 1st and goal, causing the Bees to lose yards and momentum. The clocked ticked away with both teams still sitting at 16-16 at the close of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Jets and Bees trade possession of the ball, with turnovers resulting in no score. With 4:17 remaining in regulation, Upperman scored a touchdown and added the two-point conversion to make the score 24-16.
The Jets got the ball back with an interception around their 40-yard line with just 12 seconds to go. They made the touchdown with a catch by Kadyn Page, followed by the extra points, tying the game 24-24 at the close of the fourth quarter.
"He's been our MVP this year," McGhee said. "We don't have a statistician, so I can't tell you yardage or how many touchdowns, but he's by far the leading producer for us offensively."
In overtime, each team has four downs to make it from the 10-yard line to the end zone and then a chance for the two-point conversion. Cumberland County took the first try, with a touchdown pass on the second down. The points after were no good, but the Jets were up 30-24.
Upperman pushed into the end zone on the second down of their possession, but the defense held strong on the two-point try, holding the Bees to just six and tying the game again at 30-30.
Upperman had the first try in the second overtime. They scored and made the two-point conversion, leading 38-30.
With the Jets in a "must score" situation, the quarterback connected with a receiver for a touchdown pass on the second down. The two-point conversion fell short, however, and the game ended with a 38-36 score.
"What an exciting game. I hate it for my guys," McGhee said. "But I have never had a more talented group of middle school kids. I've coached for a long time, and I've never had a more talented group."
McGhee said the team has continued to improve throughout the season.
"We have a lot of young athletes, and I'm really proud of them. They worked really hard all year long and had some success and a little disappointment along the way, but we try to use that to teach life lessons, too," he said. "It's the best group of middle school athletes I've ever had the pleasure to coach."
Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.