Hebron can’t take advantage of opening after blocking a PAT
ARLINGTON — When Denton Guyer’s extra-point attempt was blocked in the second overtime Saturday, it was all on the defense. As Guyer defenders ran onto the field, their coaches screamed, “They cannot cross the goal line!”
Hebron didn’t. The Hawks didn’t even get close as Guyer saved its season with a defensive stop that clinched a 41-35 victory at Cowboys Stadium.
Guyer (8-3) advanced to a Class 5A Division II area-round matchup with Mansfield (10-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Cowboys Stadium.
“If you’re going to be a championship ballclub, your defense has got to make big-time plays,” Guyer coach John Walsh said. “And they did tonight.”
The Guyer defense needed to after Hebron’s Deatrich Wise blocked the point-after kick in the second overtime. Hebron (7-4) took the field with a chance to win the game with a touchdown and an extra point.
Hebron quarterback Joe Farley got 3 yards on first down, but after a false-start penalty and a run for a 2-yard loss, Hebron faced third-and-14 at the 29-yard line. Guyer defensive end Dylan Slovacek then blitzed into the backfield and pressured Farley, who tried to throw the ball away but was called for intentional grounding.
On fourth-and-33, Farley’s pass fell incomplete and Guyer was still standing in the playoffs.
“This program has seen it all and almost done it all in a short period of time, so we don’t panic,” Walsh said. “We expect to win at critical times.”
Guyer scored on its first three drives to take a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter, but it didn’t score again until Jerrod Heard connected with Connor Crane for a 34-yard touchdown that tied the score at 28 with 11:03 left.
Guyer had a chance to win on the last play in regulation, but Josh King’s 27-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright. Each team scored quickly in the first overtime, and in the second overtime, Sebastain Williams scored the winning points on a 19-yard run.