KINGWOOD — After erasing a 27-7 second-half deficit to force overtime, the Preston High School football team came up three yards short fourth down in double-overtime against the visiting Hampshire High School Trojans on Friday night in Kingwood.
The Knights (0-1) trailed with five minutes left in the third quarter before scoring 20 unanswered points that took the game to overtime.
After trading scores, the Trojans added another to open double-overtime then stopped the Knights on fourth down to go home with a victory.
“I just told them how proud of them I am,” PHS head coach Mark Deep said. “We were down 20 points in the third quarter and in high school football, that time goes fast. For us to get it together down the stretch like that is nothing but a proud moment and something we can learn from and build from despite the result.”
The Trojans were led by junior quarterback Landon Eversole who threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns. PHS junior Slaton Manko paced the offense with 137 yards through the air for two scores, while also adding 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The Knights struck first in the opening quarter with Manko’s only rushing touchdown of the game, but the Trojans answered back immediately with only two plays needed to score as Sean King punched it home from four yards away to tie the game at seven after the first quarter.
Defenses then controlled the second quarter with neither side scoring until the final minute before halftime as Eversole lofted a 28-yard pass to senior Vinny Graaer to give HHS a 14-7 halftime lead.
“This is always a tough place to play on the road, especially in the first game,” Hampshire head coach Donny Evans said. “Whenever these two teams get together it’s always a dogfight and a good base to have at the beginning of the season. We are just glad to be on the winning side of it.”
The Knights began the second half on offense but quickly gave the ball back to HHS with a three-and-out.
Eversole took advantage and threw his second touchdown of the night, a 12-yard score to Andrew Loy, for a two-score advantage, 20-7.
Preston’s offense stalled once again and turned the ball over on fourth down, making way for Eversole and the Trojans to capitalize again. Eversole chucked his third passing touchdown of the evening to Greear with 5:10 left to play in the third quarter that put his team ahead 27-7.
After a good kick return by Manko to midfield, he completed a strong drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cody Smith, cutting the deficit 27-13.
Then, on the ensuing Trojans possession, PHS junior Hunter Lewellen intercepted an Eversole pass and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown, cutting the HHS lead to one score, 27-19 heading to the fourth quarter.
“I just told them that we had to go out and take it if we wanted it, no one was going to hand it to us,” Deep said. “There wasn’t any quit in them and the kids really rallied together and played hard for each other. You can’t put the entire game on one or two plays but if one or two plays go differently for us we probably win the game.”
Each team earned a solid stop on the defensive side of the ball in the fourth quarter by denying the other a conversion on fourth down.
With just under five minutes left, Manko found Smith for a touchdown once again with a 20-yard strike then tied the game with a two-point conversion to tie the game at 27.
Each team had one more offensive possession in the final four minutes, but failed to find points and headed to overtime.
The Knights struck first in overtime with an eight-yard run by Manko, then Eversole followed that up for HHS with another touchdown pass to Loy for 22 yards to force a second OT tied 34-all.
To start the second OT, the Trojans pounded the rock with King, who scored from four yards out to lift his team to a 41-34. The Knights took their turn and saw themselves with one last chance with a 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line but failed to convert and dropped the contest to Hampshire 41-34.
“I told them after the game how proud I was of them,” Deep said. “We will learn from this game and we have to have a short memory to turn around and come back next week.”
The Knights will stay home next Friday to host North Marion at 7:00 p.m.
BOX SCORE
Hampshire 7 7 13 0 (7) (7) – 41
Preston 7 0 12 8 (7) (0) – 34
Scoring Summary
PHS – Manko run 15 (Turner kick)
HHS – King run 4 (Richardson kick)
HHS – Eversole pass 28 to Graaer (Richardson kick)
HHS – Eversole pass 12 to Loy (Kick no good)
HHS – Eversole pass 20 to Greear (Richardson kick)
PHS – Manko pass 16 to Smith (Kick no good)
PHS – Lewellen 80 INT return (Kick no good)
PHS – Manko pass 20 to Smith (2pt good)
PHS – Manko run 8 (Turner kick)
HHS – Eversole pass 22 to Loy (Richardson kick)
HHS – King run 4 (Richardson kick)
Individual Stats
RUSHING – HAMPSHIRE: King 12-50 TD; Eversole 5-25; Greear 1-29; Blomquist 3-29; Kessinger 1-11. PRESTON: Manko 19-95 TD; Likens 11-42; Turner 5-13; Lewellen 5-15; Hayes 1-13
RECEIVING – HAMPSHIRE: Greear 3-101-2 TD; Loy 3-81-2 TD; Fleming 2-23; King 2-12; Kessinger 1-5. PRESTON: Smith 6-78-2 TD; Hayes 2-7; Greaser 3-33; Likens 4-18
PASSING – HAMPSHIRE: Eversole 11-25- 4TD 1 INT. PRESTON: Manko 16-26-2TD 1INT
