Photo by Rob Gantt – River Bluff running back Hayden Myers
By Thomas Grant, Jr.
River Bluff was 1.5 seconds away from advancing to the third round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs.
Instead, Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis heaved a Hail Mary pass from 50 yards into the hands of a leaping JQ Crosby on the game’s final play for a 40-35 victory.
The stunning play at Ray Stackley Field occurred eight seconds after running back Hayden Myers scored his fifth touchdown of the game and quarterback Davis Taylor’s go-ahead 2-point conversion with 10 seconds left.
Myers finished with 216 rushing yards on 38 carries. He also scored two straight touchdowns to rally River Bluff from a 13-point deficit to go up 27-26.
The Gators finished the season with a 6-6 record.
“The sun came up this morning, and we all woke up thankful for the great game of football!” River Bluff head coach Perry Parks tweeted. “Thank you GATOR NATION for your support and a fun season! #GROWTH GO GATORS.”
