Shelby football pulled off one of the wildest comebacks in recent memory Friday, Oct. 30, stunning rival Burns 36-35 in double overtime to snatch the Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A title. The Golden Lions clawed their way back from a massive 21-0 deficit after three quarters, proving head coach Mike Wilbanks’ mantra: “a game is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Burns Looked Unstoppable, Then Shelby Kicked Down the Door
For the better part of three quarters, everything was going Burns’ way in Lawndale. The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead into halftime thanks to a 34-yard touchdown run from Jorrian Ussery midway through the second quarter. Max Davis wasted no time extending that lead after the break, breaking a tackle and outrunning Shelby defenders for a 65-yard score, pushing it to 14-0. Burns finished the third quarter with a flourish, Christian Dawkins hitting Romelo Wells for a massive 77-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a commanding 21-0 lead. Their defense was locking down the usually potent Shelby offense, keeping them scoreless through three. It felt like a done deal, right? Coach Wilbanks later admitted, “Nothing went good for us in the first half, or for the better part of three quarters.” But the Golden Lions kept fighting, waiting for their chance.
The Rally Started, And Then It Was Electric
Once Shelby found a sliver of hope, they blew the door wide open. The rally kicked off with less than nine minutes left in the game, Jonas Woods punching it in from a yard out. After forcing a Burns punt, quarterback Cruz Scott engineered another drive, capping it off with an acrobatic touchdown catch by senior wideout Tyler Morgan. The Bulldogs then handed Shelby a gift, fumbling the ball at their own 20-yard line. A few plays later, Scott found Morgan again for another touchdown, and just like that, the game was tied at 21-all. The drama wasn’t over though. Charlie Ratchford picked off a pass with just over 90 seconds remaining, giving Shelby a shot at a game-winning field goal, but it was blocked as time expired. Regulation ended with Burns on the verge of victory, Zavion Stroud seemingly headed for the end zone before Shelby’s Killeus Hunt made a game-saving tackle from behind. Coach Wilbanks was clear: “For (Scott) to slow him down, and then (Hunt) to chase him down, that was the ball game right there. That was the difference.”
Overtime Thrills and A Gutsy Call For The Title
Overtime was pure pandemonium. Jonas Woods gave Shelby its first lead of the night on the very first play, a 10-yard touchdown run making it 28-21. Burns answered, Dawkins running it in from two yards out to tie it back up at 28 apiece. In the second overtime, Burns reclaimed the lead with Dawkins connecting with Ussery for a 9-yard touchdown. But Woods and Shelby had one more response, Woods finding room on the right side for another 10-yard touchdown. After that score, there was no hesitation from Coach Wilbanks. “I knew the second we scored that we were going for two; we were for the win,” he stated. “There was no way I was going to keep going back-and-forth.” Shelby converted the two-point attempt, completing the incredible comeback and securing the Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A title with a 36-35 victory. What a way to crown champions!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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