Nacogdoches Scores In Final Seconds + Beats Pine Tree, 43-42
LONGVIEW –– The Nacogdoches Dragons had to rally in the rain for a 43-42 victory over the Pine Tree Pirates in District 9-5A Division II play Friday night at Pirate Stadium.
The Dragons (3-4, 2-2) scored on their first possession of the night with a 13-yard rushing touchdown from Tarance Swindle.
The Pirates (4-3, 2-2) scored on their next possession with an 81-yard toss from DJ Freeman to JJ Sparkman.
Nacogdoches scored twice more to take a 21-10 lead into halftime.
The Dragons went up 35-20 at the end of the third quarter before Pine Tree eventually tied things up with Nacogdoches and took the lead with a little over a minute to play, 42-35.
The Dragons scored again with 15.7 seconds left on the clock. They decided to go for two, which led to Swindle leaping into the end zone for the game-winning two-point conversion.
This was the second time in two weeks that Pine Tree had the lead late in the game and still took a loss.
Nacogdoches' Jatavious Deckard finished the night with seven receptions for 139 yards, while Jake Smith completed 19 of 29 for 270 and two touchdowns.
Next week, both teams are back in district action as Pine Tree takes on Whitehouse (5-2, 3-1) on the road, while Nacogdoches is at home against Marshall (5-2, 4-0).