Larkin scores thrilling win for Gehrig's first

On 4th-and-goal from the Jacobs 5-yard line, Larkin tailback Jalen Williams, with his team trailing 19-13, came up to the line of scrimmage not knowing he was about to grab his first catch of the game. But what he did know was once he caught it, he had to go through 5 Golden Eagle defenders if he wanted to tie the game with 5 minutes remaining.

As Williams caught the pass in the flat on the right side at the 10-yard line, he lowered his shoulder and gave it his all, smashing his way through the sea of swarming Golden Eagles who all waited for his arrival.

"I was the last option on offense for the first three quarters. I was thinking just get the ball and pound it through, pound it through. You couldn't cut, so I had to go straight through," Williams said.

Williams indeed went straight through, with defenders all over him, diving for his will into the end zone to give Larkin (1-1) the tying score. Yousef Salem's extra point kick won the game 20-19, a far different outcome from last year's shootout that featured 133 points and a Larkin loss.

"My heart was thumping and pounding, it felt real good," Williams said.

"Jalen made a very tough, determined run to get into the end zone," rookie Larkin coach Matt Gehrig said. "We're teaching these guys that they're never out of the game."

Larkin trailed 19-13 for much of the fourth quarter but was driving down after Williams' 30-yard run with under 10 minutes remaining that got the Royals to the Golden Eagle 40. Two plays later, running back Brandon Cooks, who rushed for 90 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown in the second quarter, fumbled and Vince Mangiameli recovered for Jacobs. No more than two plays later, Jacobs fumbled a handoff on their own 10, setting up Jeff Saurbaugh's 5-yard pass to Williams that would be the game-winner.

Jacobs had one last shot to win the game with 45 seconds left, but Collin Carter's field goal attempt from 37 yards was short.

"Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers," said Jacobs coach Dean Schlueter. "You never know how a game is going to go. It has its own personality. It has its own momentum swings."

Jacobs (1-1) led 7-0 in the first after Alec Starr's 5-yard run. Starr completed 7 of 13 passes for 151 yards and rushed for 51, but accounted for 2 of Jacobs' 3 turnovers on inteceptions. Saurbaugh completed a 90-yard pass that was tipped and caught by the wrong receiver, Justin Kalusa, who ran it in to tie the game early in the second quarter. Brandon Cooks' 58-yard score gave Larkin a 13-7 lead at the half, but that's when Jai Bradford emerged, scoring 2 touchdowns in the third quarter on runs of 14 and 9 to give Jacobs a 19-13 lead. Bradford played only 2 quarters and rushed 9 times for 57 yards.

Larkin and Jacobs may have not combined for 133 points in this year's affair, but featured 9 fumbles, 5 by Larkin and 4 from Jacobs.