Green Hope’s rally nips Sanderson football by a point

A double-digit deficit with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter? Not a problem for Green Hope.

The Falcons got a Trevor Losito 23-yard touchdown run with 2 minutes, 25 seconds remaining to pull out a 32-31 victory over Sanderson in a nonconference football game on Friday night.

Sanderson (1-3) led 31-20 after Geoma Ward scored on a 12-yard TD run with 7:06 remaining, but Green Hope (3-2) immediately answered when Tucker Burkinshaw tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Dixon with 5:48 left to draw within 31-26.

After Sanderson turned the ball over on downs with 3:13 at the Green Hope 37, the Falcons needed just three plays to get the game-winner. Burkinshaw connected on a 32-yard pass to Losito, and two plays later, Losito squirted through a hole and juked a couple of defenders on his way for the winning TD.

Burkinshaw completed 17 of 23 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once.

“I knew we had to score, we had to drive the field and make plays all around at every position,” Burkinshaw said. “This gives us a lot of momentum.”

Turning point

Down 17-6 midway through the second quarter, Green Hope struck for a pair of touchdowns in a span of three minutes to take its first lead. Losito scored on a 52-yard run with 5:58 left in the first half, and just under three minutes later Burkinshaw tossed a 46-yard TD pass to Jack McAulay to put the Falcons ahead, 20-17.

They said it

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Green Hope coach Kwame Dixon said. “I’m proud of the fact the kids stood in there, because there was a lot of finger-pointing going on there on the sidelines. Sanderson is a physical team and they took it to us running the ball, but players make plays …. we’re excited because it was a team win.”

Three who mattered

Tucker Burkinshaw, Green Hope: Completed 7 of 10 passes for 111 yards in the fourth quarter to help the Falcons rally.

Trevor Losito, Green Hope: Rushed for 96 yards and two TDs, and also had a big 32-yard reception to set up his game-winning TD.

Trent Pennix, Sanderson: The Spartans’ quarterback rushed for 153 yards and passed for 157 yards, rushing for two TDs and passing for one.

By the numbers

3: Turnovers committed by Green Hope, which led to 10 points for Sanderson.

7: The number of different players who caught a pass for Green Hope.

16: Rushing yards by Pennix in the second half. He had rushed for 137 yards in the first half.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Green Hope’s rally nips Sanderson football by a point."