Late Field Goal Sends Marshall to 45-42 Victory At Pine Tree

[By Colby Fleet, Special to ETSN.fm]

LONGVIEW -- Pine Tree answered all six of Marshall’s touchdowns, but did not have an answer in the end.

Marshall edged by Pine Tree on homecoming with a 45-42 victory on a 20-yard game winning field goal from Emanuel Acuna with two seconds left Friday night at Pirate Stadium.

Pine Tree's Dalvin Manns took a handoff off left tackle and bounced off a couple Maverick defenders and rumbled down to the Maverick 5-yard line for a gain of 41 yards. Gerson Morales came in a quarterback for the next snap and busted up the middle for a 5-yard game-tying touchdown 42-42 with 2:13 left in regulation.

Marshall (3-5, 2-1 in District 14-4A) senior athlete Jauque Kuykendall and classmate Mitchell Leonard led Marshall’s two-minute offense and sophomore quarterback Justin Hart did not seem to be fazed by the pressure. Kuykendall had a run of 15 yards that moved the ball up to Marshall's own 49-yard line. Leonard was able to beat the Pirate secondary deep, and Hart found him for a 46-yard gain on an incredible diving catch that set up the game’s winning field goal.

Pine Tree started Mason Hays at quarterback instead of Manns or Caleb Chumley, who both played sparingly. Hays completed 10 of 14 passes for 149 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran 28 times for 220 yards and three scores (5, 21, 3).

Mays led a 65-yard eight play drive that consisted of eight runs -- two by junior Jonathan Giddings and the final three yards by Mays -- to tie the game at 35-35 with 10:06 left in the fourth.

Hart finished 11 of 24 passing for 198 yards and four touchdowns and Leonard hauled in four passes for 119 yards and two scores.

Marshall took control of the ball after a defensive stop and the Mavericks took advantage of the field position. Kuykendall used his speed to scoot around the left end for 36 yards to the Pirate. And three plays later, on fourth-and-8, Hart ducked underneath a would-be sack and fired a pass down the right side line to an open Leonard for a 42-35 advantage with 3:03 left in the game.

Pine Tree’s Brandon Davis caught a screen pass from Hays and weaved his way 75 yards downfield for Pine Tree’s only lead of the night, 28-21, with 4:16 left in the third quarter. The lead only stayed true for 13 seconds. On Marshall’s first play of the ensuing drive, Kuykendall took it 67 yards to paydirt, tying the score yet again at 28-28.

Kuykendall had a huge night for Marshall, running 19 times for 245 yards and one score. He also had a touchdown reception for 19 yards.

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District 14-4A

Marshall 45, Pine Tree 42

Pirate Stadium, Longview

Marshall -- 7   14   14   10   --   45
Pine Tree -- 7     7   14   14   --   42

First Quarter
MAR--Jauque Kuykendall 19 pass from Justin Hart (Emanuel Acuna kick), 9:32.
PT--Mason Hays 5 run (Kevin Jimenez kick), 3:44.
Second Quarter
MAR--Marek Reyes 15 pass from Hart (Acuna kick), 5:23.
PT--Brandon Davis 2 run (Jimenez kick), 1:03.
MAR--Deondre Osborne 1 run (Acuna kick), :00.
Third Quarter
PT--Hays 21 run (Jimenez kick), 9:56.
PT--Davis 75 pass from Hays (Jimenez kick), 4:16.
MAR--Kuykendall 67 run (Acuna kick), 4:03.
MAR--Mitchell Leonard 42 pass from Hart (Acuna kick), :20.
Fourth Quarter
PT--Hays 3 run (Jimenez kick), 10:06.
MAR--Leonard 19 pass from Hart (Acuna kick), 3:03.
PT--Gerson Morales 5 run (Jimenez kick), 2:13.
MAR--Emanuel Acuna 20-yard field goal, :02.

                                      MAR             PT
First Downs                          22             24
Total Yards                          548          491
Rushes-Yards                  41-350     52-342
Passing-Yards                      198          149
Comp.-Att.-Int.               11-24-0    10-15-1
Punts-Avg.                           3-32       1-40
Fumbles-Lost                         0-0         2-0
Penalties-Yards                    7-60       10-71

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Marshall, Jauque Kuykendall 19-245, Deondre Osborne 9-41, Marek Reyes 8-49, Nolan Allen 4-12, Justin Hart 1-3. Pine Tree, Mason Hays 28-220, Brandon Davis 15-41, Jonathan Giddings 4-15, Dalvin Manns 3-58, Gerson Morales 1-5.
PASSING--Marshall, Justin Hart 11-24-0-198. Pine Tree, Mason Hays 10-14-1-149, Dalvin Manns 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING--Marshall, Mitchell Leonard 4-119, Deondre Osborne 4-33, Marek Reyes 2-27, Jauque Kuykendall 1-19. Pine Tree, Dalvin Manns 5-45, Brandon Davis 2-71, Chet Morgan 1-14, Jonathan Giddings 1-13, Quay Ward 1-6.