Mid-Prairie senior quarterback Vinnie Bowlin had already worked some touchdown magic on the final play of the first half.
So, with the Golden Hawks down by seven points Friday night and just 2.6 …
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Mid-Prairie senior quarterback Vinnie Bowlin had already worked some touchdown magic on the final play of the first half.
So, with the Golden Hawks down by seven points Friday night and just 2.6 seconds remaining, he tried it again.
This time, a ball thrown toward the corner of the end zone fell to the ground and the Belle Plaine Plainsmen wildly celebrated a 28-21 win in a crazy week that began with Mid-Prairie having its game against Class 2A, District 7 foe Davis County called off due to COVID-19 issues.
The replacement game was a trip to Belle Plaine.
Bowling completed a touchdown pass to Nathan Quinby on the last play of the first half to give the Golden Hawks a 7-6 lead, but the magic ran out in the game’s final minute after Mid-Prairie, attempting to rally from a 14-point deficit, got the ball at its own 42-yard line with one minute left.
Belle Plaine, winning for the fifth time in six games, scored three touchdowns in the second half to take control.
“We were not ready. Flat. Again,” said Mid-Prairie head coach Pete Cavanagh. “We kind of were sleepwalking the first half and then were never able to catch up.”
And still, the Golden Hawks almost did catch up.
A touchdown pass from Bowlin to Cain Brown in the first minute of the fourth quarter pulled the Golden Hawks into a 14-14 tie. But Belle Plaine running back Luke DeMuelenaere, who is the leading rusher in Iowa Class A and No. 4 overall, scored a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter, including one on a 68-yard jaunt. He wound up with 259 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.
“They’re a good team,” Cavanagh said. “Give them credit. They run the ball well.”
Bowlin wasn’t done.
Passing for three touchdowns for the first time this year, Bowlin connected with Clarke Latchem on a 47-yard scoring strike with just 2:03 left.
Mid-Prairie’s defense responded with a quick defensive stop and suddenly Bowlin, who passed for 208 yards, had one last chance. Just like the first half.
Except time ran out. With just 2.6 seconds left, he had no choice but to throw for the end zone on the game’s final play.
“Vinnie is playing well,” Cavanagh said. “We can’t put him in a position where we have to throw like that. It’s an impossible task.”
The loss dropped the Golden Hawks’ record to 2-3 entering this week’s Homecoming game against West Burlington on Friday night at 7:30. After that, it’s playoff time.
“We’ve just got to get headed in the right direction and figure it out,” Cavanagh said. “We just shoot ourselves in the foot too much.
“West Burlington is a good team. They run the ball well. Our defense, at times, has been lights out this year.”
Rushing: Kayden Reinier, 17 carries, 102 yards.
Passing: Vinnie Bowlin, 12-of-25, 208 yards, 3 TDs.
Receiving: Clarke Lathem, 4 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD; Cain Brown, 4-61, 1 TD; Nathan Quinby, 1-31, 1 TD.
Defense: Justice Jones, 17.5 tackles; Brown, 7 tackles; Tyler Helmuth, 2.5 tackles, fumble recovery.
Next game: Friday, vs. West Burlington, 7:30 p.m.; JV game at 5 p.m.