Northern Durham wins on late TD run against Cardinal Gibbons football

Northern Durham running back Jaylan Burton had a beautiful 16-yard cutback run for a touchdown  with 11 minutes left in the game to lead the Knights (5-1 PAC-6, 5-6 overall) past Cardinal Gibbons (4-2, 7-4) 31-24 Friday night in the regular season finale.

The victory solidifies Northern’s second-place finish in the conference, while the Crusaders will end in third place.

After trailing 24-14 with 8:28 left in the third period, Cardinal Gibbons scored 10 straight points on place-kicker’s Mark Schachte 29-yard field goal, and a 19-yard TD pass from quarterback Jack Biestek to wide receiver Alex Kuzy.

The Knights then took the ball 49 yards on eight plays, setting up Burton’s decisive run.

Turning point

After Burton’s TD run, the Crusaders drove from their own 46-yard line to the Northern 8, but Biestek fumbled the ball. It was recovered by Northern cornerback Chris Singleton with 9:35 remaining.

Three who mattered

• Jack Biestek, Cardinal Gibbons: The sophomore QB rushed for 155 yards and a TD, and threw for two more.

• Domineke McNeil, Northern: The senior carried the ball 19 times for 167 yards – 140 in the first half – and a TD.

• Northern’s defense: The unit forced three fumbles and two interceptions to keep the offense in the game.

By the numbers

4: Turnovers by Cardinal Gibbons in first half – five total.

3: Plays by Northern that resulted in two TDs and 172 yards in the first quarter.

588: Combined yards rushing by both teams.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 10:37 PM with the headline "Northern Durham wins on late TD run against Cardinal Gibbons football."