Jacket football writes history with a tale of two kicks
The kicking unit trots onto the field on fourth down. There is no hesitation. Rather, there is a quiet confidence.
This was how Waynesburg was destined to win Saturday and achieve something it hadn’t in over a decade: earn a rare win against archrival Washington & Jefferson.
“I knew I was going to go out there and make it for our seniors,” said junior kicker Scott Lewis. “They deserve it.”
Lewis is about to kick a field goal that will forever live in Waynesburg football lore. He knew it might come down to this moment in the back-and-forth contest. But as he approaches the line of scrimmage before the attempt – only his third this season – everyone at John F. Wiley Stadium Saturday holds their breath.
“Scottie wanted it on the left hash. For me, I wanted it on the right hash,” said 10th year head coach Rick Shepas in a postgame interview on the Waynesburg University Sports Network. “I knew if the ball was on the right hash, I knew he was making it just from the way he has been practicing.”
Would Lewis’ kick break a 28-28 tie in overtime, giving Waynesburg just its fourth win in a series that dates back to 1897? Would the Presidents, with a miss, regain their confidence and defeat Waynesburg – again – to maintain a perfect season?
The players are over the ball. Just a few plays prior, W&J kicker Blake Davis had a kick blocked by Waynesburg senior linebacker Kyle Richey, thus giving the Yellow Jackets a golden opportunity to earn their first win against the Presidents since 2003.
“That was huge,” said senior quarterback Carter Hill. “[The defense] did the same thing against Thomas More. They gave us a chance late in the game by blocking a field goal.”
Added Lewis: “If he doesn’t get that block, who knows what happens. Nobody knows what the outcome of the game could have been. It was clutch.”
The chance is there with an historic win in reach. But in a series haunted by bad luck and poor decisions, is another miss in the cards?
Lewis had a chance for another game-winner in the third week of the season against Geneva. Kicking toward the right upright at the end of regulation, Lewis clanked in a field goal from 27 yards out, but a penalty negated the try. Moments later, he missed a 32-yarder wide left and the game went to overtime.
Oddly enough, a blocked Geneva field goal in the second overtime paved the way for a Waynesburg touchdown on the ensuing play.
Which piece of history would repeat itself?
Justin Layton snaps it. He’s been nothing short of perfect at his job all season. He always sends clean snaps to the holder behind him. This instance is no exception.
Hill receives the snap. The senior leader who pumped up his teammates before the game helped led them to this defining moment by throwing four touchdowns. Now, he gets the hold down and waits.
Lewis approaches it and boots the ball toward those same uprights. The ball seemingly floats through the air, slowly hooking downward and – again – to the left.
“The sound it made when he kicked it sounded really solid,” said Hill. “I thought it was going in easy, but everyone said it was curving in at the last minute.”
Lewis’ attempt was a 34-yarder. He barely kicked it 35.
That’s all Waynesburg needed to roar in celebration. This time, the Jackets wrote the happy ending to this chapter in an epic of a rivalry that has included so few triumphs.
“Somebody had a dream that we won it in overtime,” said Hill. “It’s pretty crazy.”
Saturday, the dreams of 25 seniors, an entire football program and even an entire school came true.
In that moment when the ball narrowly clears the upright, Hill tackles Lewis to the turf, the Waynesburg sideline empties onto the field, all while the scoreboard at the stadium’s opposite end flashes to tell this story’s conclusion: Waynesburg has conquered its bitter rival, 31-28.
Andy Stanko contributed to this story.