Minco gets comeback victory over Crescent

Make that two heartbreaking losses in a row for Crescent.

The Tigers saw a big lead disappear, then faltered near the goal line late in last Friday’s 27-26 home loss to Minco.

The visiting Bulldogs took their first lead of the game with 5:05 to play when Ben Burchfield caught his third touchdown pass of the game from Reed McMurtrey.

The play covered 13 yards and Will Holding’s extra-point put Minco up by a point.

Crescent nearly answered and faced 2nd-andgoal from the Bulldogs’ 4 yard line with about a minute left.

However, the snap was bobbled and the Tigers’ comeback hopes were deflated.

Crescent faced a similar situation last week when it trailed by six points before fumbling the ball at Tonkawa’s 1 yard line in the fourth quarter.

This week’s miscue was the last of three fumbles lost by the Tigers.

For much of the first half, it didn’t appear the game would be coming down to the wire.

Tayon Johnson, Stone Fisher and Tanner Rice each delivered touchdown runs as Crescent built a 20-0 lead.

Rice’s 40-yard score came with 1:16 showing on the second-quarter clock.

But Minco stole the momentum before halftime as Burchfield and McMurtrey connected for a 95-yard bomb in the half’s final minute.

They combined again just over a minute into the second half, this time from 44 yards.

Minco was able to tie the game at 20-20 when McMurtrey scored on a 6-yard run with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.

This time, Crescent had an answer.

The Tigers got a 2-yard touchdown run by Rice with 8:03 to play, but Rice’s two-point conversion run came up short.

That proved pivotal as the Bulldogs were able to get their final TD and extra-point.

McMurtrey was 12 of 25 for 288 yards.

Burchfield caught nine of those passes for 256 yards.

The Tigers got most of their production on the ground.

Rice ran it 19 times for 92 yards.

Johnson added 72 yards on his 19 attempts and Luke Descher provided 59 yards on nine carries.

Kade Varner was 4 of 6 through the air for 76 yards while Rice added 33 passing yards.

Descher also had 11 tackles for the Tigers.

If there’s good news fo Crescent, it’s that the gam didn’t cost them in th District A-3 standings. Thi was a non-district game fo both teams as Minco sit in A-2.

The loss puts Crescent a 3-3 overall and 1-1 in A-3.

The Tigers visit Watong this Thursday.