ALLEN — It came down to a 29-yard field goal attempt by Longview with seven seconds left as the rain fell on a frigid night inside Eagle Stadium with a trip to the state championship on the line.
For Longview, it was a serendipitous gift to once again have an opportunity to try and win the game as their previous drive – which came off the heels of an interception in the end zone by Roshodrick Hampton to prevent Midway from increasing their lead – was cut short in what was then seen as the game-sealing interception by Waco Midway’s Matthew Barnhill that would help preserve Midway’s 28-26 lead with 1:05 left.
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Midway, in an attempt to kill the final minute, however, fumbled the ball and Longview recovered the fumble with 59 seconds left at the Midway 39. The Lobos would then drive the ball and place themselves at the 12 to have a shot at nailing a field goal and punch their ticket to Arlington.
The kick would miss by the slimmest increment as it slipped passed the left goal post and allowed Waco Midway escape with a 28-26 victory to end a game that saw both teams leave every single ounce of heart and effort out on the field.
Waco Midway’s defense finished with three takeaways with two of them coming in the second half to help move Midway up to a 28-13 advantage with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
Midway was initially down 2-0 and feeling the effects of the weather after they had some bad snaps with one resulting in a safety on a punt attempt by Midway to put Longview in the lead with 4:21 left in the first quarter.
The Waco Midway special teams unit would redeem their previous mishap as on the ensuing drive, Longview’s 28-yard field goal attempt was blocked and put the ball back in the hands of Midway’s Tanner Mordecai.
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Mordecai would then toss his first touchdown pass of the night with the help of C.J. Williams on a slant pattern from 18-yards out to give Midway a 7-2 lead at the 11:09 mark in the second quarter.
After a Longview turnover on downs, Midway got the ball back once again but lost a fumble which led way for Longview to hit a 30-yard field goal cut the lead down to 7-5. Longview’s Ja’Vontae Writt would nab an interception off a deflection that would allow quarterback Haynes King to throw his first touchdown of the night.
King hit A’Darius Carter on a fade route on third down from nine yards out. Longview would then be successful on their two-point attempt and regain the lead at 13-7 with less than two minutes to go before half.
A minute and 37 seconds was more than enough time for Mordecai, capped a scoring drive that put Midway ahead 14-13 with a one-yard run up the middle to send Midway up into the half, to march Midway down the field.
The ground attack would then give Midway the 28-13 lead after both James Fullbright and Tanner Mordecai tacked onto the score with touchdown runs of one and five yards, respectively.
Longview went to its bag of tricks on the ensuing drive to get the game within a score after Keilyn Williams lofted a 27-yard touchdown on a halfback pass play to A’Darius Carter that put the game at 28-20 in the third quarter with 4:20 left.
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The Longview defense would step up big on the next drive and force Midway in a punt situation that the Longview unit would block.
Jaylin Brown would get a 15-yard touchdown reception but Longview’s attempt at two points would fail to set up the 28-26 scenario and the dramatic finish to the 6A DII Semifinal.
With the victory, Waco Midway advances to the State Final for the first time since 2011 and will face Cy-Fair High School in the Class 6A DII State Final.
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