By Mark Eddlemon

sports@joplinglobe.com

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Don’t try and tell the Reeds Spring Wolves that Missouri State High School Activities Association playoff football isn’t about second chances.

Reeds Spring upset Mount Vernon 26-22 on the road Friday night, securing a playoff berth with a second consecutive win after starting the season 0-8.

Mount Vernon falls to 4-5 overall and 1-1 in the playoffs.

“This is special for these kids,” Reeds Spring coach Brian Moler said. “Reeds Spring hasn’t been to the playoffs since 1997.”

“We have to win next week to get in,” Mount Vernon coach Joy Mayberry said. “I don’t think it will be hard to get our guys focused for Aurora. They’re our biggest rival.” The Mountaineers host Aurora on Thursday in the final contest of the regular season. The top two teams in each district advance.

Mount Vernon owned the second half of play - until the final four minutes.

The Mountaineers overcame a 19-14 deficit with a 15 yard touchdown run by Stephen Swillum with 1:27 to play in the third period. Corey Phillips hit Sam Cowherd with a 2- point coversion pass to put the host up 22-19.

The Mount Vernon defense did not allow a first down through the first 20 minutes of the second half. And the Mountaineers offense was marching towards an insurance touchdown with under five minutes to go in the game, earning a first down at the Wolves 18.

But the Reeds Spring defense (sparked by big plays from Cody Burke, Jonathan Strazzinski and Martin Seaberry) forced a turnover on downs with less the four minutes to play.

Then sophomore quarterback Zac Ferguson hit tight end/quarterback Chris Jones with an 80-yard pass down to the Mount Vernon 1-yard line.

“We’ve been playing both those guys at quarterback since week five,” Moler said. “Ferguson runs the option well, and Jones has a good arm. But Zac delivered a nice pass. We almost had a touchdown with that bootleg earlier.”

Ferguson scored on a quarterback sneak with 3:43 to play and Jones kicked the point after.

Mount Vernon quarterback Corey Phillips engineered a last ditch drive with an 18-yard run, a 29-yard pass to Jackson Tettenhorst and a 9-yard run, moving into Wolves territory at the 31 with just 1:09 to play.