By Monty Franks
sports@joplinglobe.com
COMMERCE — Senior quarterback/placekicker Derek Owens kicked a 30-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the game to give the Hominy Bucks a 24-23 victory over the Commerce Tigers on Friday night in the first round of the Class A playoffs.
Marking the third straight year the two teams have collided in the playoffs, the eighth-ranked Tigers end their season with a 10-1 record. The Tigers defeated the Bucks 26-17 in the second round of the 2006 playoffs, and Hominy eliminated Commerce 24-10 in last year’s first round.
“If you can’t make extra points and you don’t make the plays you’re supposed to, then you get beat,” Commerce head coach Willie Ng said. “They beat us up in the first half, but our kids fought back in it and just didn’t get the job done.”
Coach Scott Harmon’s ninth-ranked Bucks (8-3) advance to the second round next Friday against Sallisaw Central (10-1), a 20-6 winner over Stratford.
“Commerce has a real good ball club,” Harmon said. “They came out and hit us with a big play right off the bat and I thought ‘wow, we’re going to be in a dog fight’ and that’s what it was.”
Owens, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, guided Hominy 79 yards in the final 3:12 to set up the game-winning field goal after Commerce had grabbed a 23-21 lead on a 33-yard field goal by Zach Barnes into a stiff northwesterly wind.
“I give their field goal kicker credit for being able to hit that kick into the wind,” Harmon said. “But I give Derek more credit because his came as time was winding down to answer on the road.”
After stopping the Bucks on the opening series of the game, Commerce took possession at its 16-yard line. Sophomore wide receiver Bryson Sullivan took the handoff on a counter play and raced down the middle of the field for an 84-yard touchdown run. Barnes attempted the extra point but Hominy linebacker Chase Fairweather blocked the kick.
Consuming almost five minutes on its next possession, Hominy moved 72 yards in 11 plays to grab the lead. Senior running back Jerrad Jones ended the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Owens kicked the PAT with 2:13 left in the first quarter to give the Bucks a 7-6 lead.
Amassing another long scoring drive, the Bucks covered 75 yards in nine plays midway through the second quarter to extend their lead. Jerrad Jones scored on a 2-yard run and the PAT by Owens gave Hominy a 14-6 lead 6:43 before halftime.
Following an exchange of punts, Commerce mounted a drive of 84 yards in 13 plays to consume the final 3:27 of the second quarter. The drive was kept alive on a fumble-rooskie run of 21 yards by senior guard Dusty Edens. Senior quarterback Joey Bowling ended the drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Luke Manning with only four seconds left on the clock. Bowling hit Dusty Williams for the 2-point conversion pass to create a 14-14 halftime tie.
Hominy benefited from a fumble by Bowling to regain the lead with 4:27 left in the third quarter. Bowling rolled away from pressure at the 5-yard line and dropped the ball in the end zone where Hominy defensive end Caleb Bedient recovered for a TD and a 21-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Taking advantage of a 10-yard punt by Owens, Commerce needed seven plays to cover 26 yards in the first three minutes of the final quarter. Junior fullback Mikey Morgan scored on a 2-yard run with 9:55 left, but the Tigers trailed 21-20 as the PAT went wide left.
A fumble by Owens was recovered by Commerce defensive tackle Sean Richard at the Tigers 46. Highlighted by Sullivan’s 23-yard run, the Tigers moved to the Bucks’ 16 before Barnes hit the go-ahead field goal.
Sullivan led the Commerce ground game with 174 yards on 18 carries as the Tigers rushed for 230 yards on 31 carries. Bowling completed 6 of 14 passes for 63 yards with one interception.
Jerrad Jones rushed for 143 yards on 29 carries for the Bucks.
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