The odds did not appear to be favorable before Friday’s game for Oxford to make the state high school football playoffs.
The Wildcats needed to win their final two games of the season in order to get the six victories necessary for the invitation to the playoffs.
The team had been plagued with injuries, having lost their entire starting backfield over the past six games. Quarterback Billy Keenist was the latest to be hurt, sustaining an injury to a finger on his throwing hand.
Backup quarterback Mike Jones was slated to start his first varsity game against Linden, a team that had beaten the Wildcats the last two times at the Eagles? home field.
Linden still had a shot at the co-championship of the Flint Metro League and wanted the game as badly as Oxford.
But the Eagles didn’t count on two things.
This Wildcat team showed it has tremendous heart and desperately wanted to have a successful season. Linden also didn’t know about the return of tailback Sergio Schlak, who missed the last three games with a shoulder injury.
Schlak showed no ill effects of his layoff, rushing for 197 yards and one touchdown.
Jones passed for another score, ran for a game-tying overtime touchdown and then booted the game-winning extra point for a thrilling 21-20 victory for Oxford.
The Wildcats still must beat Fenton at home at 7:30 p.m. Friday to clinch the playoff invitation. Fenton is winless this season.
The game was played in a steady rain, which limited the offenses for both teams, although both scored on their opening possessions of the game.
The final few minutes and the overtime period were nail-biters as Oxford narrowly missed scoring a touchdown and then a safety shortly before time expired.
The game was tied at 14 for much of the second half and the teams appeared headed for overtime when Schlak broke around the left side of the Wildcat line for a 64-yard run with only 1:51 left in the fourth quarter. Schlak was knocked out of bounds on the one-yard line.
The Wildcats fumbled, however, and Linden recovered on their own one-yard line. Two plays later, it appeared as though the Wildcats caught a Linden back in the end zone for a two-point safety.
The referees ruled the ball carrier’s progress was to the one-foot line. A quarterback sneak moved the ball out to the four-yard line and Linden punted. Oxford defenders ran into the punter and Linden was given the ball back and a first down just before time expired.
Linden received the first possession of the overtime, which mandates that each team gets the ball on the 10-yard line and has four chances to score.
Eagle quarterback Dustin Mayner hit Chris Wade on a 4-yard TD pass on third down to give Linden a 20-14 lead. Chiatalis, who had booted Linden’s two earlier PATs without any problems, couldn’t contend with the slippery conditions and mud and kicked the ball low into the Oxford defensive line, which blocked it.
On the Wildcat’s first play in overtime, Hugo Gomez was stopped with no gain. On the second play, Jones ran an option around the right side. He was hit on the two but fell forward into the end zone for the score.
‘The play was an option and I saw a gap and just took it,? Jones said following the game.
Prior to kicking the extra point, Linden called a timeout to try to rattle Jones but the strategy didn’t work. As soon as Jones kicked it, he threw his arms up in celebration and the Wildcats mobbed him.
Jones said later that he felt confident that he would make the kick, even though the field condition was poor.
‘I made a kick from there before in the game, so I knew I could make that one,? Jones said. ‘We knew we had to win this game to make the playoffs. It was the biggest game of the year so far for us. Sergio really gave us some speed.?
Coach Bud Rowley agreed the victory was huge for the team.
‘It was a big win for us. Everyone contributed,? Rowley said. ‘It was awesome.??
Schlak said he felt fine and had no problems from his shoulder injury.
‘I was just anxious to get back and play,? he said.
Schlak and his Wildcat teammates started the game like gangbusters, moving easily downfield 73 yards to score on their opening drive of the game. Schlak got the score and Jones kicked the first of his three PATs.
Schlak picked up 33 yards on the drive and Gomez added 26.
Linden wasted no time in answering. After the Eagles reached midfield, Drew Chiatalas broke through for a 50-yard TD run. Chiatalas also added the PAT.
The Wildcat defense held Chiatalis? to only seven more rushing yards for the remainder of the game.
Linden took the lead early in the second quarter when they recovered a muffed punt on the Wildcat’s seven-yard line. The Eagles subsequently scored and converted for a 14-7 advantage at halftime.
The Cats got a tying score early in the fourth quarter when Jones hit tight-end Kyle Oliver on a 26-yard TD strike after calling an audible. Jones had gotten behind all of the Linden defenders on the play. The completion was the only one of the game for Jones, who attempted only five passes due to the poor weather conditions.
Oxford finished with 314 yards in offense, with Schlak gaining 197 yards and Gomez adding 75.
Linden had 162 yards in offense, 129 coming on the ground.