Mitchell and Brevard managed only 14 points apiece in the first four quarters of Friday’s non-conference contest. With overtime can offensive explosion, however, as the team’s answered each other score-for-score through three overtime sessions. Finally in the fourth extra session, the Brevard defense held Mitchell out of the end zone to earn a 41-35 victory.The two teams were each held scoreless through the first 12 minutes of action, but the Mountaineers concluded the quarter with possession of the football.
In the quarter’s opening seconds, Mitchell finally drew first blood as quarterback Troy Self broke through the Blue Devils defense and jaunted 44 yards for a touchdown. The extra point from Isaac Edwards gave the visitors the 7-0 advantage.
For most of the half the Mitchell defense picked up where it left off the previous week in dominating its opponent. Brevard managed to knot the game at 7-7 with just over three minutes left in the half as Nick Mooney scampered loose for an 80-yard touchdown run. The score would remain knotted at intermission.
For most of the third period the teams battled for field position. The Blue Devils surged ahead with Mooney’s second touchdown run, this time a 7-yard run with 2:22 left in the quarter that propelled Brevard to a 14-7 lead, an advantage that was carried into the final quarter of regulation.
Needing to get back into the end zone to tie the contest, the Mountaineers worked hard on both sides of the football to set themselves up for the tying score. Midway through the period, Justin Hughes took advantage of his blockers up front and dove over the goal line from one yard out.
The Edwards PAT tied the game again, this time at 14-14. Neither team could break through for the game-winning points in regulation, sending the exciting contest into overtime.
In the first overtime session, Brevard received the opening possession and scored from the ten-yard line on a run by Justin Owenby. The PAT gave Brevard the 21-14 edge. Needing to score to keep the game alive, Mitchell standout running back Shawn Jackson found his way to pay dirt for the first time on the night, scoring on an 11-yard run. The extra point was good to force a second overtime session with a 21-21 score.
With the first possession of the second overtime, Mitchell again reached the end zone for a touchdown when Jackson blew through the Brevard defense for a seven-yard carry. The point-after put Mitchell in front 28-21. Brevard answered, however, with a two-yard scoring run by Dominique Wynn and extra point conversion to force a third extra session with a 28-28 score.
The third overtime was similar to the first two, as both teams again put seven points on the scoreboard. Jackson scored his third touchdown in the overtime period, while Owenby tallied his second touchdown tote.
The turning point of the game occurred in the fourth overtime. With the first possession of the overtime period, disaster struck for Mitchell as Jackson fumbled the football. Brevard’s Owenby recovered the football to end the series for the Mountaineers.
In Brevard’s series, Wynn scored on a four-yard touchdown run to provide for the final margin in a thrilling 41-35 final score.
The Mountaineers tallied 329 total yards of offense in the game, while holding Brevard to just 221 yards.
Jackson paced Mitchell with 119 yards on 25 carries, while Self added 88 yards on 16 carries. Ryan Sparks led the receiving corps with two receptions for 56 yards.
The Mountaineers have this Friday off, and will host North Buncombe in Ledger on September 17th.
