By Monty Franks
The Joplin Globe
MIAMI, Okla. —
Two crucial penalties and a 2-point conversion run by Chad Denly enabled the ninth-ranked Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College Panthers to rally for a 21-20 victory Thursday night over Northeastern A&M before a small crowd at Robertson Field.
Coach Mike Virden’s Panthers (2-0) won for the first time in the 10-game series.
Things don’t get any easier for the Golden Norse (0-2) on Sept. 11 as they host the No. 1-ranked Blinn at 3 p.m.
“I told the team that this loss was mine,” NEO coach Donnie Bigby said. “Not being able to finish an offensive drive or not being able to make a defensive stand with time running out falls squarely on my shoulders.”
After trailing 13-6 at halftime, the Golden Norsemen took the second half kickoff and marched 64 yards in five plays into a brisk 25 mph northerly wind.å
Freshman tailback Terrance Olds burst up the middle before cutting to the sideline for a 52-yard run down to the Ellsworth 5-yard line. Two plays later, freshman quarterback Beau Marsaln scored from the 1, and Collin Yeary’s PAT created a 13-13 tie with 12:29 left in the third quarter.
Ellsworth had an opportunity to grab the lead with just four seconds left in the third quarter, but a 36-yard field goal try by Jamison Disalvo was blocked by NEO defensive end Kerry Burks.
“We knew if we could run the football in the second half, then we could control the clock,” Bigby said. “But when you have three offensive possessions in the red zone and don’t put points on the board, that’s a reflection on me.”
Consuming 11:55 minutes on the clock to start the fourth quarter, the Golden Norsemen needed 19 plays to cover 83 yards before gaining the lead.
Recently activated freshman running back Darwin Rideau scored on a 3-yard run and Yeary kicked the point-after to give NEO a brief 20-13 lead with 3:05 left in the game.
Ellsworth took possession of the ball at its 32-yard line. Tindal hit passes of 9, 5, 7 and 5 yards along with two 15-yard personal foul penalties by the Norsemen to fuel the drive.
On a third-and-9 play, Tindal burst through the line for a 12-yard touchdown with only 35 seconds left. After the play, NEO was flagged for a personal foul which gave the Panthers the ball at the 1-yard line.
After time outs by both teams, Denly took the handoff from Tindal and scored the winning 2-point conversion run.
