For Southern Sports & Travel, By Brad Greer
The North Delta School's magical 2010 football season came to a gut-wreching end Friday night as the Green Wave fell one game short of reaching the Class AA Championship game as Leake Academy took a breathtaking 42-35 triumph in overtime in front of a jammed pack Green Wave Field.
Leake quarterback Grant Wilson's 10-yard scoring run on the first play of the overtime period followed by Dylan Alford's successful point after attempt gave the Rebels a 42-35 lead. North Delta then had its chance to tie the game, but Joshua Mascagni picked off a Bryan Nickle tipped pass in the endzone to end the game.
Leake, (11-2) will now advance to the Academy AA state championship game Friday afternoon at Millsaps College in Jackson where they will take on River Oaks, (La.) who dethroned defending AA state champ Brookhaven 17-14 for the South State title.
Trailing 29-13 with 10:31 left in the contest, North Delta made a furious fourth quarter run to send the game into overtime as senior wide receiver Jim Tom Copeland reeled in his fourth touchdown reception of the night on a 38-yard scoring strike from Bryan Nickle to tie the game at 35-35 with 1:35 left in regulation.
Wesley Webb's four-yard touchdown pass from Wilson gave the Rebels a 35-21 advantage with 3:15 left in contest, North Delta quickly answered back with a seven-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by Nickle's 19-yard pass to Copeland to make the score 35-28 after Kyle Devazier booted the last of four point after attempts.
After the Green Wave's unsuccessful attempt at recovering the onside kick following the touchdown, the Rebels looked to run out the final two minutes of the game. But on the first play from scrimmage, North Delta's Carson Bailey pounced on a Wilson fumble at the Leake 42 yard-line that set up the game-tying touchdown by the Green Wave.
The Rebels took a 29-13 lead early in the final stanza as Wilson sprinted 53 yards for the touchdown to complete a six-play; 89-yard drive that was aided by a key 19-yard reception from Wilson to Webb on 3rd-and-13 from the Leake 28 that kept the drive alive. Wilson finished the night with 144 yards rushing on 16 carries to go along with three touchdowns on the ground.
North Delta, (11-2) responded with a 11-play; 76-yard scoring drive of their own as Nickle connected with Copeland on a four-yard pass. Nicke then hooked up with Tres Brasell on the two-point conversion attempt to make the score 29-21 at the 7:31 mark of the fourth quarter. Copeland finished the night with six receptions for 110 yards.
After a scoreless first quarter, Leake got on the board first as Alford drilled a 30-yard field goal with 11:56 left in the second quarter. The Green Wave then took their first lead of the game on the next possession as Brasell scored his 23rd touchdown of the year on a seven-yard run to make the score 7-3. The drive was set up by a crunching block by Derrick Shawn that sprung Nickle on a 50-yard punt return to the Rebel 35-yard line.
North Delta extended their lead to 13-3 later in the stanza when Copeland out-jumped a Leake defender in the endzone for a 11-yard touchdown reception from Nickle.
Whatever momentum the Green Wave had quickly evaporated on the next series as Brad Hunter returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield with 50 seconds remaining before intermission. Two plays later, Wilson zipped a 31-yard touchdown pass to Webb with 23 seconds in play in the half to close the North Delta lead to 13-10 after Alford booted the PAT.
The second half did not start off good for the home team as Zach McGarr 32-yard interception return of a Nickle pass on the second play from scrimmage set up a 18-yard scoring run by Wilson to make the score 17-13 with 9:58 left to play in the third quarter. Mascagni added to the Rebel lead with a 62-yard gallop later in the quarter to increase the Leake lead to 23-13 after Alford shanked the PAT wide right.
Mascagni matched Wilson's rushing total with 144 yards on the ground as the Rebels pounded out 322 yards rushing on the night. Wilson added 60 yards through the air on four-of-nine passing
North Delta out-gained Leake 387-382 in total yardage on the night with 182 yards rushing and 205 yards through the air. Nickle was 14-of-27 passing with four touchdown but was picked off three time. The senior signal called also led the team with 96 yards on 15 carries. Nickle finished off an outstanding season with 1,015 yards rushing and nine touchdowns to go along with 1,213 yards passing and 16 touchdowns.
Fullback Micheal Magee followed Nickle with six carries for 53 yards while recording seven tackles on defense. Brasell added 14 carries for 32 yards and one catch for (minus) three yards.
John Cody Dalrymple and Corbin Baker each had three receptions while Taylor Morris registered one catch for 44 yards.
Will Reynolds led the North Delta defense with ten tackles while Shawn followed with six stops and a blocked punt.
Leake quarterback Grant Wilson's 10-yard scoring run on the first play of the overtime period followed by Dylan Alford's successful point after attempt gave the Rebels a 42-35 lead. North Delta then had its chance to tie the game, but Joshua Mascagni picked off a Bryan Nickle tipped pass in the endzone to end the game.
Leake, (11-2) will now advance to the Academy AA state championship game Friday afternoon at Millsaps College in Jackson where they will take on River Oaks, (La.) who dethroned defending AA state champ Brookhaven 17-14 for the South State title.
Trailing 29-13 with 10:31 left in the contest, North Delta made a furious fourth quarter run to send the game into overtime as senior wide receiver Jim Tom Copeland reeled in his fourth touchdown reception of the night on a 38-yard scoring strike from Bryan Nickle to tie the game at 35-35 with 1:35 left in regulation.Wesley Webb's four-yard touchdown pass from Wilson gave the Rebels a 35-21 advantage with 3:15 left in contest, North Delta quickly answered back with a seven-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by Nickle's 19-yard pass to Copeland to make the score 35-28 after Kyle Devazier booted the last of four point after attempts.
After the Green Wave's unsuccessful attempt at recovering the onside kick following the touchdown, the Rebels looked to run out the final two minutes of the game. But on the first play from scrimmage, North Delta's Carson Bailey pounced on a Wilson fumble at the Leake 42 yard-line that set up the game-tying touchdown by the Green Wave.
The Rebels took a 29-13 lead early in the final stanza as Wilson sprinted 53 yards for the touchdown to complete a six-play; 89-yard drive that was aided by a key 19-yard reception from Wilson to Webb on 3rd-and-13 from the Leake 28 that kept the drive alive. Wilson finished the night with 144 yards rushing on 16 carries to go along with three touchdowns on the ground.
North Delta, (11-2) responded with a 11-play; 76-yard scoring drive of their own as Nickle connected with Copeland on a four-yard pass. Nicke then hooked up with Tres Brasell on the two-point conversion attempt to make the score 29-21 at the 7:31 mark of the fourth quarter. Copeland finished the night with six receptions for 110 yards.
After a scoreless first quarter, Leake got on the board first as Alford drilled a 30-yard field goal with 11:56 left in the second quarter. The Green Wave then took their first lead of the game on the next possession as Brasell scored his 23rd touchdown of the year on a seven-yard run to make the score 7-3. The drive was set up by a crunching block by Derrick Shawn that sprung Nickle on a 50-yard punt return to the Rebel 35-yard line.
North Delta extended their lead to 13-3 later in the stanza when Copeland out-jumped a Leake defender in the endzone for a 11-yard touchdown reception from Nickle.
Whatever momentum the Green Wave had quickly evaporated on the next series as Brad Hunter returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield with 50 seconds remaining before intermission. Two plays later, Wilson zipped a 31-yard touchdown pass to Webb with 23 seconds in play in the half to close the North Delta lead to 13-10 after Alford booted the PAT.
The second half did not start off good for the home team as Zach McGarr 32-yard interception return of a Nickle pass on the second play from scrimmage set up a 18-yard scoring run by Wilson to make the score 17-13 with 9:58 left to play in the third quarter. Mascagni added to the Rebel lead with a 62-yard gallop later in the quarter to increase the Leake lead to 23-13 after Alford shanked the PAT wide right.Mascagni matched Wilson's rushing total with 144 yards on the ground as the Rebels pounded out 322 yards rushing on the night. Wilson added 60 yards through the air on four-of-nine passing
North Delta out-gained Leake 387-382 in total yardage on the night with 182 yards rushing and 205 yards through the air. Nickle was 14-of-27 passing with four touchdown but was picked off three time. The senior signal called also led the team with 96 yards on 15 carries. Nickle finished off an outstanding season with 1,015 yards rushing and nine touchdowns to go along with 1,213 yards passing and 16 touchdowns.
Fullback Micheal Magee followed Nickle with six carries for 53 yards while recording seven tackles on defense. Brasell added 14 carries for 32 yards and one catch for (minus) three yards.
John Cody Dalrymple and Corbin Baker each had three receptions while Taylor Morris registered one catch for 44 yards.
Will Reynolds led the North Delta defense with ten tackles while Shawn followed with six stops and a blocked punt.
