Mary Hardin-Baylor prevails against Hardin Simmons in a hard fought Division III first round playoff match up
With the score tied at 35-35, Mary Hardin-Baylor kicker Alan Munoz was busy staying warm on the sideline as he practiced kicking into a net. Seeing his team drive downfield with the game clock winding down, Munoz had little doubt he was about to get his chance to deliver the dagger that would send his Crusaders to victory.
And then on the same home field where they had enjoyed an exciting successful regular season, the Crusaders (10-1) moved into the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs after Munoz booted a 33-yard field goal with only seconds remaining on the clock to give Mary Hardin-Baylor the 38-35 win over the Hardin Simmons Cowboys.
American Southwest Conference rival Hardin-Simmons found themselves down 28-35 late in the fourth quarter but tied things up with just under two-minutes to go in the game. Throughout the game each team responded after falling behind with scoring drives to tie the game up. And that was not about to change.
With quarterback Justin Feaster at the helm, Hardin Simmons (9-2) drove 80-yards in 11-plays to tie the game up and set up the dramatic finish. Feaster completed four passes on the drive for 49 yards, the last of which was a 6-yard TD strike to Jerrad Grisham to tie the game up at 35-35.
The fourth quarter got underway with the score all tied up at 21-21 before the Crusaders Josh Saenz's hit Aerttrail Robinson for a 73-yard touchdown pass on just the second play of the quarter for a 28-21 lead. Then on Hardin-Simmons next possession the Crusaders came up with a huge play on defense when Derrick Williams intercepted a Feaster pass to set the Crusaders up in Hardin Simmons territory at the 27-yard line.
The Crusaders wasted little time in taking advantage of the big play and extending their lead. Looking to strike a final blow and put the game away, Saenz took the snap and pitched the ball to Bryson Tucker who rolled out and tossed a pass to Ervin Johnson who went airborne and hauled in the pass over a Hardin Simmons defender for a touchdown and a 35-21 lead with 12:08 remaining in the game.
HSU had no plans of letting up as they answered right back with a score of their own. Facing a fourth-and-nine, Feaster found Justice Baker for a 19-yard touchdown pass to move to within 35-28 with 9:45 to play in the game.
The Crusaders were then forced to punt on their next possession setting up Hardin Simmons for the game tying drive. Knowing it was do or die, the Cowboys moved downfield with their season on the line and with 1:30 to go in the game Feaster found Grisham for a six-yard touchdown pass the bring things even at 35-35.
It was now time for the Crusaders to answer with some dramatics of their own and they would deliver for the home crowd. After returning Cowboy squib kick 25-yards to the Cowboy 47-yard line with 1:24 to play, Saenz tossed a 25-yard pass to Pi'Dadro Davis to pick up a first down on a second-and-12. Bryson Tucker then pitched in with a couple of runs to set up Munoz for his dramatic game game-winning field goal.
HSU made one last ditch effort as they took the ensuing kick off but that would end after a five yard return that was met by a host of Crusaders converging on the tackle.
Tucker totaled 99 yards rushing on 22 carries, a touchdown on a kickoff return, and his touchdown pass. Seanz passed for 159 yards on 9-14 passing with one TD and picked up 39 yards on the ground to go along with one rushing TD. Feaster went 26-of-36 for 306 yards with four touchdowns on the day. Josh Stephens led the Cowboys in rushing with 79-yards on 14 carries.
Box Score (Final)
#7 Hardin-Simmons vs #4 Mary Hardin-Baylor
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
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Hardin-Simmons...... 7 14 0 14 - 35 Record: (9-2)
Mary Hardin-Baylor.. 7 14 0 17 - 38 Record: (10-1)
