Overtime stop lifts Legacy past Arbor View
Legacy hadn’t had much success stopping Arbor View sophomore Taylor Wooten on Friday night — until the game’s final play.
The sixth-ranked Longhorns stuffed Wooten on a 2-point conversion run in overtime to escape with a 31-30 road victory.
“They’d been pounding us all day,” Legacy coach Dave Snyder said. “Our kids were wore out, but they found a way to fight at the end and pull it out.”
Legacy’s defenders met Wooten in the backfield, and the ball squirted out. Legacy’s Chaz Hall scooped up the ball to end the game.
“I was just so happy,” Legacy fullback Prince Oroke said. “It’s an indescribable feeling. You go through a lot of stuff in life, but being on the football field, there’s nothing like it.”
The Longhorns (6-0, 3-0 Northwest League) got the ball first in overtime, and Deshae Edwards scored on a 2-yard run. Svein Ree’s extra point gave Legacy a 31-24 lead.
Eighth-ranked Arbor View (4-2, 1-2) then converted on fourth down when Austin Anderson hit Ryan Hill with a 10-yard TD pass. The Aggies chose to go for two, and Wooten, who had 278 yards and three TDs on 35 carries, was stopped to end the game.
“They were doing their thing to us on offense,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson said. “So home field, we were going to try to end it right there.
“That was kind of the play that had been working all night. We went with our play, and Legacy brought heat right in the right spot.”
Legacy led 24-21 midway through the fourth quarter when Edwards fumbled at the Arbor View 17 and Gabe Toney recovered for the Aggies with 5:24 left in regulation.
Arbor View marched to the Legacy 5-yard line but had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Patrick Cape to tie the score with 40 seconds to play.
Oroke, who rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, got the call on the first play of overtime, picking up 8 yards to set up Edwards’ third TD run of the night.
“I felt like I could move it,” Oroke said. “Me with my o-line and Deshae, we’re always going to move the football.”
Oroke and Edwards combined for 362 rushing yards, with Edwards scoring on runs of 1, 36 and 2 yards.
The 215-pound Oroke had a 1-yard TD run in the first half and dragged defenders with his hard, charging inside running all night.
“He’s just a man-child,” Snyder said of Oroke. “I know they’re going to start keying on him, but he’s a load. He’s a strong kid.
“I’m just thankful to have him.”
After going 3-15 in their first two seasons, the Longhorns now are one of two remaining undefeated Class 4A teams in the area.
“After what we went through the last couple years, it feels great,” Snyder said. “I’m happy for these kids, more importantly. They’ve put in a lot of time and a lot of effort. They deserve it.”
