But Yoe's Damyon Kelley couldn't get the handle on Matt Chandler's onside kick, and Caldwell recovered with 38 seconds remaining to give the Hornets a 35-28 win on Friday in the District 24-3A finale for both teams.
For the Hornets, the immediate future holds a playoff berth as the district champions; for the Yoemen, a lot of what-ifs.
"We definitely came in this game tonight thinking we could win it, and we could have," Yoe coach Rick Rhoades said. "It hurts to lose a game like this - it hurts the kids, it hurts the coaches. When you give it everything you have and still come up short . . . but if it doesn't hurt, then you weren't trying hard enough."
That's one thing the Yoemen (6-4 overall, 3-3) needn't worry about. Trailing 35-21 with 2:29 remaining in the game, quarterback Steven Townsend led an 11-play drive that started at his 35. He completed six passes, hitting four receivers, to set up the Yoemen with a first down at the Hornet 13. Two incompletions led to third down before he found Thomas Rinn, who scooted into the end zone to close the gap to 35-28.
Chandler then launched an ideal onside kick, and Kelley briefly corraled the ball. But he couldn't hang on and the Hornets (8-1, 6-0) recovered for the win.
"I was really proud of our kids, the way they fought back in this game," Rhoades said. "They showed a lot of heart and a lot of leadership tonight."
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