HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Crawford Shocks Lincoln on Hail Mary Pass with 30 Seconds Remaining

With 1:53 remaining in Friday’s showdown, Lincoln stole the City Central League championship from Crawford. One minute, 23 seconds later, Crawford snatched it back.

The Colts (6-3, 4-0) upended the defending champion Hornets, 21-19, on a shocking 78-yard Hail Mary pass from Dominic Mosler to Michael Bell with 30 seconds left. It was the only reception by Bell--Crawford’s top receiver--and one of only three downfield completions by Mosler, who completed four shovel passes.

The touchdown came on fourth down and 26 yards. It came against single coverage, with Bell leaping over his defender for the ball. It came as the Hornets (3-6, 3-1) were ready to break into a victory celebration. It came 83 seconds after Ben Lilo blocked a punt and Jamal Burress ran it in for a touchdown.

Burress’ 27-yard return gave host Lincoln a 19-14 lead.

“(Mosler) said, ‘Go out. I’ll have it out there deep,” said Bell. “I really didn’t believe the ball would be there. But I was thinking I had to score.”

Mosler had completed only five of 15 passes--including the shovels--for 33 yards to that point, and he heaved this one without looking down field.

Six plays earlier in the drive, Bell, who was an invisible man through the game’s first 47 1/2 minutes, appeared to give up on Altie Parker’s halfback pass. Bell again had single coverage. The pass was there, but Bell appeared to slow down.

“I could see where he was at,” said Parker. “I thought he would make it there.”

No matter. All that separates the Colts and the Central title now is Hoover (0-9, 0-4).

“We have been talking about this all year,” said Parker. “It’s a big turnaround from 3-8 last year. And even on the last play, we still had faith.”

Lincoln, which frittered away a 12-0 halftime lead, still had enough time to answer.

Darren Hall, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, took the ensuing kickoff and--with coaches yelling at him to run out of bounds--scrambled toward midfield trying break it all the way. Hall eventually turned the corner on the Lincoln sideline and then, apparently in the clear, ran out of bounds.

The Hornets scored 12 points in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Jimmy Greene and a 35-yard pass from Aliki Smith to Shannon Hinton. But they also broke down twice on special teams. Smith was benched after he opened the third quarter with his second interception. Arnell Davis returned it to the Lincoln 12. A personal foul on the play moved it to the six, where running back Robby Wadas took it in on first down.

After the Hornets punted on their next drive, Crawford marched 73 yards on 12 plays, with Mosler scoring on a three-yard sneak to make it 14-12, Colts.