Saline Drops Thriller to Bedford in OT

The Saline Hornets football team battled hard all evening, capping off a comeback with less than 30 seconds left in regulation to tie the Bedford Kicking Mules at 24 before falling in overtime 30-27. 

The Hornets (2-3) had trouble stopping the run at times, but played a clean, aggressive game. The Hornets fell to 0-2 in the SEC Red Division.

Down 24-17, facing a 4th-and-10 from the Bedford 11 with 30 seconds left in the game, quarterback Reece Dils lofted a pass into the corner of the endzone for Derek Owings, who went up and made the catch. Dylan Mulder's extra point kick sent it to overtime.

Mulder kicked a field goal to give Saline with 27-24 lead in overtime, but Bedford's Jonathan Prajzner rushed in from six yards out to seal the victory for Bedford.

Dils opened scoring for Saline on a five-yard run with 6:57 left in the opening quarter. On second-and-goal from the five, Dils dropped back and immediately faced pressure. He ran to his left and then cut back to his right, sweeping into the end zone untouched.

Dylan Mulder (two for three field goal attempts, three for three on extra points) missed his first field goal attempt of the evening, a 49-yard try that had the distance, but was pushed just left of the upright.

Bedford’s Aaron Czesak scored early in the second quarter on a 2-yard run to bring the game even, and Saline’s defense gave up a 71-yard run to Jonathan Prajzner with 4:16 left in the half to put Bedford up by seven. The ensuing kickoff was returned by Gage Hammond for a touchdown. Hammond, who was leaning backwards over the end zone line when he caught the ball to avoid a touchback, returned it 99 yards for the score.

Hammond intercepted Czesak on the following drive, setting up a 36-yard field goal by Mulder with 11.6 seconds left  sent Saline into halftime up 17-14.

“In Gage’s mind, he expects to score every time he touches the ball.  That’s just how he plays,” said head coach Mike Glennie.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth defensive affair, with Bedford putting the only points on the board with 33.4 seconds left. Jonathan Shepherd ran the ball in from 1-yard out to give the Kicking Mules a 21-17 lead.

Saline’s opening fourth quarter drive would end on an incomplete pass by Dils (8 for 16 passing for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception) on a fourth and one, but the Hornet defense forced Bedford to turn the ball over on downs themselves by stopping a sweep play on fourth and five. Bedford increased their lead by adding a field goal with 2:10 left after Dils threw his only interception of the night, but Saline was not done. Using the remaining time efficiently, Dils orchestrated a ten play, 60-yard drive that culminated with a Derek Owings 11 yard touchdown grab on a fourth and 10. Owings, who was interfered with by Bedford’s defender, laid out in the corner of the end zone with 26.2 seconds left to send the game into extra time.

“I was proud of their effort. With twenty-some seconds left in the game, they could have quit, but they showed a lot of character and came back and fought to get to overtime. I was proud of that effort and expect them to come back next week with same kind of effort,” said Glennie.

Saline got the ball first in overtime, and the offense was held to a field goal after Andrew Butcko and Justin Barnes (16 carries for 56 yards) combined to gain only four yards and a Dils incomplete pass. Prajzner scored a touchdown on second down from six yards out to end the game on Bedford’s possession.

Saline season continues when they host Monroe on Friday, Sept. 30 in the Hornets Homecoming game.

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