Facing fourth and 12 at their 15-yard line with just over two minutes on the clock Friday, Alba-Golden trailed the Rivercrest Rebels 20-13. Hopes for a playoff appearance would likely live or die on the next snap.

Wyatt Sutton was split out in the slot to the left. Easton Campbell took the shotgun snap and drifted back.  Sutton came off the line and ran across the face of the defender before straightening into a dead sprint down the middle of the field. 

Campbell took one look and lofted a beautiful, arching pass which cleared the lagging defender and fell softly into Sutton’s arms. He cradled the catch and strode the remaining 50 yards for the touchdown.

When the hysteria of the moment cleared, the fact remained that the Panthers yet trailed by a point, 20-19. It was up to sophomore Sam Olson to knot the score. His point-after-touchdown was perfect.

While most folks at the Swamp were talking about high school overtime rules, Rivercrest covered the kick-off at their own 41-yard line. Two snaps later, Cameron Lennon undercut a slant route in the middle of the field and took an interception in full stride. 

Lennon returned the ball to the Rebel’s 23-yard line. With 1:42 to play, Alba-Golden was primed to steal the win. 

Two carries by Payton Dickinson over the right side took the ball down to the 14. An unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Rebels advanced the ball to the 7-yard line. 

On the next snap, Dickinson headed right again, however, he hit the line ahead of the pulling offside lineman, Hector Delgadillo. Dickinson was stopped at the 5-yard line, but Delgadillo was only a step behind him. The lineman grabbed Dickinson with both arms and started churning forward.   

Other Panthers joined in as the inertia began to move Dickinson – who at one point was actually picked up off the ground – closer and closer to the goal line. When the mass of bodies eventually crashed down, it was three yards deep in the end zone. 

Lennon sealed the win with yet another interception.

In one of the most thrilling two minutes in sports, the Alba-Golden Panthers had likely punched their ticket to the post-season with a 26-20 victory in Bogata.

The Panthers had gotten off to a great start. Dickinson scored on a 38-yard counter play early in the game as the Panthers opened the scoring. 

However, using a mix of their bruising fullback JaQuan Brown and offensive jitterbug Cameron Lowe, the Rebels scored on their next three possessions. Each score featured a single big play. 

After one quarter of play the score stood 20-7. It remained so until Alba-Golden’s initial possession of the second half.

The Panthers had a fresh mindset coming out for the second half. Jake Hallman’s Marshaun Lynch-like ramble on that first drive set a surge of adrenalin through the team.  

Luke Jones scored around the right edge two plays later. The score remained frozen however until the late-game strike between Campbell and Sutton.  

The Panther defense forced four Rebel turnovers in the second half and limited the hosts to only 81 yards from scrimmage in the half, but offensive production was tough to realize for both teams.  

The game was decided by the composure, selflessness and confidence of the Alba-Golden squad. 

The Panthers host Como-Pickton Friday and finish their regular-season campaign Oct. 27 at Cooper.