Wednesday, April 24, 2024
ALVARADO — The Tolar Rattlers’ goal-line stand against Dawson as time expired secured a thrilling 5-42 victory Thursday night in the opening round f the Class 2A Division II football playoffs.
Dawson tried three times from inside Tolar’s 1-yard line, but the Rattler defense stuffed the Bulldogs before racing to teammates and coaches for a wild celebration on the field.
“We put our big guys up front,” Tolar Head Coach Jeremy Mullins said about the Rattlers stopping the quarterback sneak in the climatic closing seconds. “We say this all the time, ‘They don’t give you any points from getting to the 1.’”
The bi-district victory sends the Rattlers to the area playoff round where they will face Lindsay, the state’s ninth-ranked team, Friday in Lake Worth. Tolar is ranked 46th in one poll; Dawson was 44th.
Sophomore quarterback Jackson LeCluyse had a heroic performance, throwing for all six Tolar touchdowns. Brandon Click caught three, including the game winner with 1:26 left to play. Matt Moore hauled in two TD passes, and Wyatt Jones caught the other.
LeCluyse hit 24 of 47 passes for 378 yards. Tolar accumulated 469 total yards, and Dawson had 449, including 303 on the ground. Moore caught six passes for 166 yards, and Click caught seven for 75.
Tolar trailed by 12 early in the fourth quarter, 42-30, but didn’t lose hope and fought back to regain the lead on LeCluyse’s roll out and toss to Click who tip-toed inside the corner of the end zone.
LeCluyse said he was confident the Rattlers would rebound because “we were driving every time.”
Tolar jumped out to a 16-0 lead on a pair of touchdown passes from LeCluyse to Click and a 35-yard Wyatt Jones field goal. The speedy Bulldogs, however, answered in a wild second quarter that saw long touchdown passes and runs for 49 combined points. The Rattlers scored three TDs, and the Bulldogs scored four, including an interception return.
The Rattlers took a 30-28 lead a into the dressing room at halftime. Coach Mullins said he is proud of the players for refusing to quit, not only in this game but for the season after a slow start. ‘They’re a dose-knit group and fun to work with,” Mullins said. “That deserve that, right there.”
Tolar 9 21 0 15 -45
Dawson 6-42 0 28 8
Jackson LeCluyse 15 pass to Brandon Click (conversion failed)
Wyattlones 35 FG
LeCluyse 2 pass to Click (Macaine Tucker kick) 51 to Matt Moore
LeCluyse 51 pass to Matt Moore (Tucker kick) 72 to Moore
LeCluyse 72 pass to Moore (Tucker kick) 22 to Jones (Tucker kick)
LeCluyse 22 pass to Jones (Tucker kick)
LeCluyse 3 pass to Click (LeCluyse run)
“They’re a close-knit group and fun to work with. They deserve that, right there.”
JEREMYMULLINS
Tolar Head Football Coach
