Byron edges Reed-Custer in final seconds to advance in 3A playoffs

BYRON — Reed-Custer was more athletic, bigger, talented and senior-laden than the Byron Tiger football team on Nov. 12. But, the defending 3A state champs possessed the most important intangible – knowing how to win football games.

In a near repeat of their last-second quarterfinal win over Reed-Custer last year, Byron scored with 12 seconds left for a 32-27 win in what R-C coach Gavin Johnston called “déjà vu”.

It was freshman Caden Considine going in from a yard out for the win, leaving the Comets shaking their heads over many what-ifs.

What if R-C hadn’t have fumbled on its opening drive after QB Jake McPherson ran 25 yards to give his team a first-and-10 at Byron’s 26-yard line?

With a 7-0 lead and holding Byron to a pair of 3-and-outs, what if R-C had been able to convert on a second-and-inches on Byron’s side of the field instead of going for the dagger on the next play that resulted in an incompleted pass? Two plays later, Byron took over on downs.

What if a 34-yard touchdown by Ashton Henkel had been ruled incomplete, as one official conferred with another before the final call was made, as the R-C coaching staff vehemently protested the ruling of a completed catch? Even the Byron PA was confused on whether or not it was a score.

What if McPherson hadn’t mishandled a snap two plays later, giving Byron the ball in the red zone in the third quarter, leading to a critical (2-possession lead) field goal by Nick Drake?

With the wind at their back, what if R-C kicked the ball deep instead of squibbing it after taking a 27-25 lead with just over 2 minutes left in the game, allowing a return to the 50-yard line, nicely setting up the final touchdown drive.

All of these what-ifs contributed the demise of the previously undefeated Comets, along with Byron big-play capability and none was bigger than a 51-yard run by Considine at the start of the second quarter.

Not only did a jump start a sluggish Tiger offense, but set up a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Braden Smith to make it 7-7.

After being dominated by R-C, it was game on after Considine’s long run and Smith became the catalyst for it.

With R-C stuffing Byron for no gain on its next two runs, Smith took to the air and found Ashton Henkel for 14 and 48 yards, the latter a touchdown and 14-7 Tiger lead.

With the Comet defense stacked at the line of scrimmage to stop their run-heavy opponent, they now had to loosen up the defensive scheme, opening up the ground game.

R-C regained the lead 15-14 after McPherson took his team on a 9-play, 76-yard drive, effectively mixing pass and run.

On the first possession of the second half, it was a repeat performance of the Smith and Henkel combination (4-for-112 yards) slicing up the Comet defense. A 9-play, 63-yard drive was capped up with a 34-yard touchdown catch by Henkel.

With Henkel losing possession of the ball in the end zone after first catching it and crossing the goal line, there still remained a question as to whether he retained possession of it.

The initial call of touchdown held up and Byron led 22-15, with R-C angrily berating the officiating crew.

Drake increased the lead to 25-15 on a 42-yard field goal after Carsen Behn recovered a McPherson fumbled snap. It was the first time all season that R-C faced such a deficit, normally forcing a running clock in the second half.

With Nick Bohac (19-115 yards) carrying the load, the Comets went 73 yards on 13 plays to pull within 25-21 and that was how the third quarter ended.

R-C had a chance to take the lead back after stopping Byron on fourth down and getting the ball on the Tiger 46-yard line. Jacob Ross, the smallest player in the field at 5-foot-5, intercepted a duck thrown by McPherson to stop the scoring threat.

R-C got the ball back with 3:23 left after a Tiger punt and it was Bohac running 40 yards to paydirt for a 27-25 Comet lead, as the large visitor’s fan base roared its approval.

Besides the ill-fated squib kick following the score, two consectutive penalties against the R-C defense on Smith passing attempts set the stage for Considine’s game-winner.

That touchdown absolutely demoralized Reed-Custer, with its best team in school history and sights on a state title. Meanwhile, Byron (11-1) advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight year.

The Tigers travel to Elmhurst on Saturday to face IC Catholic at 3 p.m.