Diamond Hornets win thriller
Story and Photo by Mike Maddock mike@thecolumbiastar.com

Lower Richland's Lewis Gunter (44) and Joseph Greene (42) tackle Spring Valley kicker Kevin Knapp after Knapp tries to make something out of a bad snap. The field goal attempt could have given the Vikings their first win of the season.

This October 26 game at Lower Richland wasn't pretty, but it told the tale of two programs. The Lower Richland Diamond Hornets got their second win of the season against Spring Valley Vikings in overtime 20- 19.

It was the Diamond Hornets' first win over 4A program since 2002 and may signal the resurgence of a program that heads to 3A in 2008.

The Vikings fall to 0- 10 after winning or sharing the Region V-4A title the previous two years. The Lower Richland loss was their second consecutive one- point overtime loss.

The Vikings did strike first with 1:08 remaining in the first half. Quarterback Rob Harding through a 24- yard bomb to Charles Lang.

The second half opened with two straight turnovers for each team.

The Diamond Hornets ended the sloppy play with Joseph Morgan's 45- yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7- 7 with 5:44 left in the third. After a successful surprise on- side kick, quarterback Travis Sabb put LR up 13- 7 with a 12- yard touchdown pass to Brandon Wilkerson with 48 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The PAT was blocked.

The Vikings answered a little over two minutes later with a 12- yard touchdown run by Rowshand Branch. A high- snap on the point after attempt kept the score tied at 13- 13.

After LR's ensuing drive ended in a punt with 3:35 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Vikings drove 27 yards to their own 46- yard line. With 45 seconds remaining LR's Joseph Greene intercepted Harding's pass attempt. The Diamond Hornets returned the favor fumbling the snap back over to Spring Valley at the LR 38- yard line. A Harding 14- yard pass to Lang set- up the potential winning field goal from the LR 14- yard line, but another high snap with 7.5 seconds remaining sent the game into overtime in the Kansas shoot- out format.

The Diamond Hornets scored on their second play in OT with a Sabb three- yard pass to Joseph Morgan. Freshman kicker Ediberto Vergara made the extra- point to put LR up by seven.

The Vikings answered on their second play as well with a Harding six- yard pass to Andrew Jones.

For the second week in a row, the Vikings opted to go for two. Against Ridge View the previous week, the Vikings were lined up for two, but were flagged for a substitution infraction forcing a longer PAT. It sailed right. This time the Vikings were able to get off the play, but Harding's pass sailed over the outstretched arms of Andrew Jones giving LR the one point victory.