Nick Stevens: The Last Five And A Half Minutes

The last five and half minutes of the Millbrook-New Bern game on Friday summed the whole game up, and it turned out to be one of the best high school football games I have ever witnessed.

In a game that went back and forth for most of the night, Millbrook found themselves down by ten, 27-17.

Millbrook quarterback Brian Kass found Jamal Williams for the 24-yard catch that set up the three yard touchdown run by Kuwon Eldridge with just 5:31 left in the ball game.

After the extra point, the Wildcats still found themselves down by three.

Millbrook tried the onside kick, and after the ball hit a New Bern player square in the chest, Millbrook recovered right around mid-field. That's when Kass hooked up with Scott Gray for the 51-yard touchdown. The extra point put the Wildcats back on top, this time by four-points.

The Wildcat faithful were going wild after scoring 14-points in 14-seconds, but the celebration didn't last long.

On the pursuing kickoff, the Wildcats kick it deep to the 25 yard-line, but New Bern pushed it back 75-yards for the touchdown. Now New Bern was back on top by three.

When Millbrook got the ball back, Kass threw one of his three interceptions on the night, but the Millbrook defense was up to the task. After holding the Bears on third-and-one, the Cats sack the quarterback on fourth down for a big loss, and Millbrook took over on downs right around mid-field.

Kass breaks several runs, and Millbrook keeps the clock running. Finally, Eldridge gets the call and he breaks several tackles to get the ball down to the New Bern one yard-line.. On first-and-goal, Eldridge hammered it home for the go-ahead touchdown, Millbrook led 38-34 with just 39.5 seconds left.

A field goal wouldn't do for New Bern.

The Bears got the ball back on the kickoff, and the Millbrook defense had a hard time bringing the runners and receivers down. With just 11.9 seconds left, New Bern found themselves with a first-and-ten situation on the Millbrook 20. After a controversial catch inside the one yard-line, New Bern had their fate in their own hands.

Just 2.9 seconds were on the clock, and New Bern had one shot. First-and-goal from inside the one yard-line, New Bern pushes it up the middle, and after the second effort Kevin Reddick scores the touchdown - barely.

Literally, Millbrook came within inches of winning the ball game, but leaving ten-points on the field didn't settle well with the Wildcats. Millbrook had four shots to score from the New Bern two yard-line, but failed. The Cats also missed a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Mix in the missed opportunities on offense and special teams with the pick-six and special teams touchdown for New Bern, and those were the keys to the ball game.

Millbrook falls to 9-4, but they will look forward to a strong season again next year. The Wildcats won't lose too many key players this year. Included in the mix for the Class of 2009 is Kass.

New Bern will host Leesville Road, who upset previously undefeated South View on Friday night, for the right to represent the East in the 4-AA State Championship.