By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
No matter how big the deficit may be, the Camdenton Lakers always feel like they have a chance to win.
Games like Friday night will only fuel that never-say-die attitude.
Camdenton pulled off an improbable comeback, scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to stun Kickapoo 24-21 at Pottenger Stadium in Springfield.
“It didn’t surprise me. What I mean by that is we’ve come back from big deficits before. That’s kind of our MO,” said Camdenton head coach Jeff Shore, pointing out a similar comeback win over Glendale last season. “We always keep fighting. We always keep battling.
“It doesn’t always turn out our way, but we preach: ‘Just leave it all out there.’”
Camdenton senior quarterback Bear Shore, the son of the team’s head coach, finished with 308 total yards and a pair of touchdowns.
He scored the go-ahead touchdown, a 4-yard run with 3:37 remaining, to put Camdenton ahead for good.
Late in a grueling, three-hour game that saw players go down with cramps throughout the night, Camdenton’s defense made one final stand after Kickapoo reached midfield.
“Our defense and special teams really stepped up at the end,” Bear Shore said. “They shut Kickapoo down multiple times and gave us a chance. By the end, we capitalized.”
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The game took a decisive turn with five minutes remaining when Kickapoo mishandled a punt attempt in its own endzone. Camdenton recovered the fumble for a touchdown to get within 21-17.
“Now we really had a shot,” Jeff Shore said. “That’s what we needed.”
Camdenton, which trailed by 18 entering the fourth quarter, had found its jolt of confidence.
“It went from, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to win this one’ to ‘I think we can do it’ really quick,” said Camdenton senior receiver Kam Durnin.
On Kickapoo’s next series, the Chiefs elected to go for it on 4th and 1 from their own 38. Camdenton’s defense held up and forced a turnover on downs.
“I admire (Kickapoo coach) Nate (Thomas) for going for that. I agreed with that call 100 percent,” Jeff Shore said. “It was the right call. We just happened to make a great play on it.”
On the ensuing series, Camdenton put the game in its star player’s hands. Three Bear Shore carries later, the Lakers went up 24-21.
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“My mindset was, ‘Kickapoo’s tired. They’re going to play back. I’m going to run quarterback draw and put it in Bear’s hands,’” Jeff Shore said. “We felt like we could get it going on that drive.”
Said Bear Shore, who finished with 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries:
“It’s not the prettiest way to win a game, but we have to do what we have to do. It was working, so we kept going to the well.
“The offensive linemen were doing a great job opening up holes there at the end.”
Kickapoo seemed to have the game locked up after Jackson Young’s 56-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter put the Chiefs ahead 21-3.
“It stings,” said Kickapoo coach Nate Thomas. “I thought we had (Camdenton) in our grasp there at the end. We had two critical plays at the end that just didn’t go our way.
“There were other plays that led up to that. Our kids played so hard. They put themselves in a position to win. They just didn’t get it done.”
“Credit to Camdenton. They hung in there and never gave in.”
The Chiefs started the game on fire with backup quarterback Chase Hamme at the helm.
Hamme threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Shaun Campbell on Kickapoo’s first possession. Minutes later, Hamme eluded the Camdenton defense on his way to a 56-yard touchdown run that made it 14-3 Chiefs.
Hamme got the starting nod at quarterback on short notice. Kickapoo’s normal starter did not dress out for Friday’s game due to a violation of team rules.
Hamme finished with 170 total yards.
“We found out something this morning and (Hamme) had to get ready to play,” Thomas said. “We brought him into the office around 7:30 a.m. and let him know what was going on. We put together a short gameplan for him, based on what we knew he did well. He went out there and executed those first two series.”
“To get thrown into the mix at 7:30 a.m. on game day, I’m pretty proud of him.”
The Chiefs also got a stellar effort from defensive end Andrew Link, who registered four first-half sacks.
Kickapoo looks to rebound next week at Lebanon.
The Lakers continue their role as road warriors with a game at Waynesville next week. Camdenton plays its first home game on Sept. 16 against Parkview.
Camdenton 24, Kickapoo 21
Camdenton 3 0 0 21 — 24
Kickapoo 14 0 7 0 — 21
First quarter
Kickapoo – Campbell 24 catch from Hamme (Brown kick)
Camdenton – Durnin 29 kick
Kickapoo – Hamme 56 run (Brown kick)
Third quarter
Kickapoo – Young 56 run (Brown kick)
Fourth quarter
Camdenton – Shore 1 run (Hulett catch from Shore)
Camdenton – Fumble recovery in endzone (pass failed)
Camdenton – Shore 4 run (Durnin kick)
STAT LEADERS (unofficial)
Camdenton
Passing: Shore 20/37, 172 yards, 1 INT
Rushing: Shore 23 for 136, 2 TDs
Receiving: Durnin 5/50; Eidson 4/44
Kickapoo
Passing: Hamme 11/20, 113 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Hamme 11/68, 1 TD; Young 5/65, 1 TD; Pickett 6/31
Receiving: Campbell 2/49, 1 TD; Pickett 5/24
