LaFayette takes last-minute victory

LAFAYETTE — No fan left LaFayette on Friday with a single nail left on their fingers.

The LaFayette Bulldogs (3-3, 2-2) topped the Montevallo Bulldogs (4-2, 2-2) with a nail-biting, go-ahead touchdown with 49.3 seconds left in the game, giving LaFayette a 28-21 victory and a memorable homecoming.

With LaFayette down, 21-20, with 3:43 left to play, Montevallo had the upper hand. That was until Montevallo quarterback Kevin Callender fumbled the ball on a draw play at LaFayette’s 43. The home team recovered and the momentum quickly changed.

LaFayette needed just two plays to take the lead and the eventual win. On the first play after the fumble, LaFayette quarterback Javontae Holloway threw to Jamichael Stone, who gained 47 yards, taking the ball down inside the Montevallo 10-yard line.

Then, on the very next play, Holloway found his tight end Tobius Ray for the score. After the successful 2-point conversion, LaFayette led 28-21.

Montevallo, who exhausted all of its timeouts, tried a couple of desperation passes. But LaFayette’s Antoine Heard sealed the deal for the Bulldogs with a 58-yard interception return down to the 2-yard line.

LaFayette’s Holloway took a knee there for the win.

Montevallo started the game by controlling the clock. After a three-and-out by LaFayette, Montevallo held the ball for the entire first quarter.

Callender started the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run to give Montevallo a 7-0 lead.

LaFayette answered the call quickly, though. Holloway hooked up with Heard for a 56-yard touchdown with 10:55 left until the half. LaFayette was stopped short on their 2-point conversion, however, putting the score at 7-6.

Thanks to their defense, LaFayette wasn’t finished scoring.

On Montevallo’s ensuing drive, Callender was picked off by Heard, setting up a 24-yard run by LaFayette’s Chris Ashford. The big tailback rumbled his way to the end zone by steamrolling Montevallo defenders. The 2-point conversion was good, this time, on a pass from Holloway to Heard. LaFayette went into the locker room up 14-7.

Montevallo’s defense was the story of the third quarter, as it held LaFayette to just 30 yards and two first downs. On a third-and-1 play, Montevallo sacked LaFayette’s Holloway for an 11 yard loss.

The defense followed up on fourth down by sacking Holloway again, this time for a loss of 9. This spurred Montevallo to drive the ball to LaFayette’s 2-yard line where Callender ran the ball in for the tying touchdown with 6:12 to go in the third.

The fourth quarter is when the nail-biting began. With 9:15 left, Callender took the ball in once again to put Montevallo up 21-14. After LaFayette’s Holloway threw an interception, the momentum began to swing towards Montevallo. 

LaFayette, however, picked up a fumble by Callender and began to drive. LaFayette’s Ashford caught a pass from Holloway and went 20 yards for a touchdown.

On what seemed to be a risky call by LaFayette, head coach Ike Grant, opted to try for a 2-point conversion and failed. But, it wasn’t over for the Bulldogs, as they were able to comeback for the win.