J.H. Rose finishes wild comeback, downs Leesville Road football
With 102 rushing yards at halftime, it didn’t seem there was much more running back Dontavies Harris could do for the J.H. Rose offense.
But Harris was just getting started. The running back scored three touchdowns in triple overtime as the Rampants, ranked No. 14 in The News & Observer area, overcame a 17-0 deficit to defeat the host No. 23 Leesville Road 54-48.
Harris finished with 240 rushing yards on 32 carries, scoring six times. He spearheaded the Rampants’ 91-yard scoring drive that sent the game into overtime late in the fourth quarter after Ryan Goodwin hit Grant Jarman for a 29-yard touchdown.
However, neither of Harris’ touchdowns in the second and third overtimes would’ve been possible if not for the effort of J.H. Rose’s field goal unit. It blocked what would’ve been a game-winner from Leesville standout kicker Jefferson Norwood at the end of the first extra period. Late in the second quarter, it had also blocked another kick that proved crucial as regulation wound to a close.
TURNING POINT
After a bad snap gave Leesville (2-1) two points and a two-score lead off of a safety to open the third quarter, Rose’s outlook looked dim.
However, the Rampants (1-1) drove down the field and Ryan Goodwin found Mydreon Vines for a 10-yard touchdown to bring the game back in reach and flip the momentum their way for the first time all night.
THREE TO KNOW
Dontavies Harris, J.H. Rose: Had 266 all-purpose yards and scored three of his six touchdowns in overtime.
Evan Provost, Leesville Road: Was 19-for-31 passing for 285 yards and five touchdowns to four different receivers.
Mydreon Vines, J.H. Rose: East Carolina recruit had six receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.
BY THE NUMBERS
2: Straight turnovers by Rose to open the first quarter, resulting in 10 points for the Pride en route to a 17-0 deficit.
4: Blocked extra points, two for each team.
46: Distance that Leesville’s Jefferson Norwood made a field goal from with 4:56 to go in the first quarter.
196: All-purpose yards for Leesville running back Cole Coleman. His two receiving scores off of screen passes were the first and last scores of the night for Leesville.
This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 10:50 PM with the headline "J.H. Rose finishes wild comeback, downs Leesville Road football."