Willard’s Christian Smart had a simple question heading into Friday’s overtime period against Bolivar.
After four quarters of offensive fireworks, the Tigers and Liberators found themselves deadlocked at the end of regulation, 42-42. Each team was to receive a possession at the opponent’s 25-yard line.
Smart quickly located Willard head coach Brock Roweton on the sidelines.
“Christian asked me before we went out, ‘Now what do we have to do to win right now?’” Roweton said. “I told him all we had to do was get either a stop or a turnover, and he said OK.
“I guess he took that upon himself to go make some plays.”
PHOTOS: WILLARD VS. BOLIVAR
The Tigers got the ball first and quickly scored on a 21-yard pass play. Quinton Batson hit Kenny Chambers out in the flat, and the speedy receiver made a series of video game moves near the five-yard line to reach the end zone.
The conversion attempt failed, and Bolivar took the field for its overtime series needing a touchdown and conversion to win the game.
The Liberators had plenty of scoring options, too. Tight end Brandon Emmert, a matchup nightmare, had already burned the Tigers through the air for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
On the ground, Bolivar running back Lane Loomer was also stuffing the stat sheet. The junior’s coming-out party featured 162 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Apparently, neither option mattered to Smart.
On 2nd and 9 from the 24, Smart and Brock Howard combined to sack Bolivar’s Connor Sechler in the backfield.
Two plays later, with the Liberators facing fourth and long, Smart turned in a highlight-reel sack (his third of the game) to preserve the win.
Smart recalled a bevy of nerves and excitement during the final play.
“You know, I was scared,” Smart said. “I was really scared just because [Sechler] is shifty. I didn’t know if I was going to dive and watch him move right out of the way, but I could feel it. I could feel the excitement; I could feel the rush, and I just went for it and put all I had into it.”
The late-game heroics from Smart and Chambers highlighted a game full of offensive from both teams.
Chambers, in particular, proved to be a weapon on both sides of the ball.
The speedy junior not only turned both of his catches into touchdowns (60 and 21 yards), he intercepted a Bolivar pass and ran it back 13 yards for a third score.
“Right when he planted, I knew it,” Chambers said. “I knew the ball was going to him, and my eyes were just huge. I saw my opportunity, and I took it.”
While Chambers doesn’t normally play defense, Coach Roweton made a crucial halftime adjustment.
“Kenny normally just plays on offense, but he moved in to help us out,” Roweton said. “We put basketball player on basketball player, and he did a really good job. Our guys were able to match up a little better and cover a little tighter in the second half.”
For Bolivar, the loss marks the second week in a row where a big lead in the first half morphed into a second-half fade. The Liberators had Willard down 20-6 at one point in the second quarter; however, turnovers and costly penalties allowed the scrappy and opportunistic Tigers to regain momentum and mount the second-half comeback.
Willard (1-1) hosts Neosho in week three, while Bolivar (0-2) travels south to square off against COC-Small rival Reeds Spring.
Bolivar 48, Willard 42
Bolivar 14 14 8 6 0 — 42
Willard 6 14 22 0 6 — 48
First quarter scoring
Willard Brock Howard 52-yd rec TD from Quintin Batson (PAT missed)
Bolivar Lane Loomer 16-yd rush TD (PAT missed)
Bolivar Brandon Emmert 9-yd rec TD from Connor Sechler
(Mason Payne 2-pt conversion rec)
Second quarter scoring
Bolivar Loomer 4-yd rush TD (PAT missed)
Willard Howard 4-yd rush TD (2-pt conversion failed)
Bolivar Payne 7-yd rec TD from Sechler (Emmert 2-pt conversion rec)
Willard Batson 18-yd rush TD (Nate Swadley 2-pt conversion rush)
Third quarter scoring
Willard Kenny Chambers 13-yd INT return TD (2-pt conversion failed)
Willard Chambers 60-yd rec TD from Batson
(Ethan Burson 2-pt conversion rec)
Bolivar Conley Garrison 34-yd TD rec from Sechler
(Emmert 2-pt conversion rec)
Willard Howard 29-yd rec TD from Batson
(Swadley 2-pt conversion rush)
Fourth quarter scoring
Bolivar Emmmert 5-yd rec TD from Sechler (2pt conversion failed)
Overtime scoring
Willard Chambers 21-yd rec TD from Batson (2pt conversion failed)
