From: Subject: Last-second field goal lifts NCHS over BHS Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2010 09:16:41 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01CB4C11.E2D3D6C0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01CB4C11.E2D3D6C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.pantagraph.com/conferences/big-12/article_3672f8d0-b7e0-11df-afb4-001cc4c002e0.html =EF=BB=BF Last-second field goal = lifts NCHS over BHS NORMAL =E2=80=94 Occasionally in practice, Spencer Smith = will simulate kicking a last-second, game-winning field goal. Yet, = his imagination has limits.

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Last-second field goal lifts NCHS over BHS

Last-second field goal lifts NCHS over BHS=20

By Randy Kindred |=20 rkindred@pantagraph.com pantagraph.com=20 | Posted: Friday, September 3, 2010 11:45 pm | = Loading=E2=80=A6=20

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3D"buy=20 Normal's Jalen Cribbs, center, celebrates = with teammate=20 Curt Neargarder after scoring a touch down against Bloomington Friday, = Sept. 3,=20 2010, during the third inning at Hancock Stadium in Normal. = (Pantagraph/CARLOS=20 T. MIRANDA)

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NORMAL =E2=80=94 Occasionally in practice, Spencer Smith will = simulate kicking a=20 last-second, game-winning field goal. Yet, his imagination has = limits.

=E2=80=9CI usually don=E2=80=99t think of it like this,=E2=80=9D the = Normal Community High School=20 junior said. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s more of a smaller scale.=E2=80=9D

Almost anything would be smaller than a 44-yard field goal into the = wind=20 against a state-ranked rival. Smith faced it all Friday night at Hancock = Stadium, and the ending exceeded his wildest dreams.

Smith=E2=80=99s kick hit the crossbar and bounced over with 2.5 = seconds remaining,=20 giving NCHS a 32-31 victory over No. 2-ranked Bloomington in the second = game of=20 the Intercity Doubleheader.

=E2=80=9CI initially thought it was short,=E2=80=9D said Smith, also = an Ironmen soccer=20 player. =E2=80=9CI didn=E2=80=99t feel like I got all of the ball. I = just saw it keep going. I=20 was like, =E2=80=98It=E2=80=99s gotta go, it=E2=80=99s gotta = go.=E2=80=99 =E2=80=9D

It went just far enough to snap NCHS=E2=80=99 three-game losing = streak against the=20 Purple Raiders, and came on the final play of a drive that started = inside the=20 Ironmen 1-yard line with 5:46 to play.

=E2=80=9CHow about it?=E2=80=9D NCHS coach Wes Temples said. = =E2=80=9CHe (Smith) has done a great=20 job. He=E2=80=99s put in a lot of hours. It doesn=E2=80=99t get any = bigger than that=20 (situation).=E2=80=9D

The Ironmen overcame deficits of 13-0, 19-7 and 31-22 to improve to = 2-0=20 overall and in the Big 12 Conference.

BHS (1-1, 1-1) left the door open by failing on four of its five = conversion=20 attempts.

=E2=80=9CIf we make those, that field goal is a moot point and they = have to score a=20 touchdown,=E2=80=9D BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer said. =E2=80=9CYou have to = credit the young man=20 (Smith). When they needed to they came through. It=E2=80=99s totally to = their=20 credit.=E2=80=9D

The Raiders wiped out a 22-19 deficit with TD runs of 61 and 6 yards = by=20 tailback Justin Brooks (20 carries, 175 yards). They failed on = extra-point tries=20 after both scores, making it 31-22 with 10:44 left.

Brent Spack=E2=80=99s 53-yard kickoff return gave NCHS the ball at = the BHS 35, and=20 quarterback Brent Turner scored on a two-yard run seven plays later.

A 59-yard punt by BHS=E2=80=99 Jonathan Wimp pinned the Ironmen = inside their 1, but=20 they got into field goal range with a 15-play drive. BHS helped out with = two=20 penalties.

=E2=80=9CThe neat thing is I never saw any panic,=E2=80=9D Temples = said. =E2=80=9CThe kids went out=20 and said, =E2=80=98OK, let=E2=80=99s go.=E2=80=99 =E2=80=9D

NCHS fullback Keegan McIntosh admitted he was =E2=80=9Cfreaking = out,=E2=80=9D but was=20 encouraged by the fact =E2=80=9Cwe had been able to move it in clutch = situations when we=20 needed to.=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s the best win in my life, hands down,=E2=80=9D = he said.

Turner was 12 of 23 for 133 yards, including touchdowns of 12 yards = to Grant=20 Hanley and 11 to Jalen Cribbs. BHS sophomore Jayden Thompson was 4 of 6 = for 126=20 yards, highlighted by a 19-yard TD to Dean Jordan.

Brooks had three TD runs in all, scoring on an 11-yarder in the first = quarter=20 following a blocked punt.

=E2=80=9CIf you=E2=80=99re a fan and watching the game, it=E2=80=99s = a fun game,=E2=80=9D Schmelzer said. =E2=80=9CIf=20 you=E2=80=99re wearing purple and gold, you=E2=80=99re kind of = frustrated with how things played=20 out. But Community stayed in it. They never gave = up.=E2=80=9D

Copyright 2010=20 pantagraph.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, = broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted in Big-12, Bloomington, Normal-co= mmunity,=20 Football, Sports = on=20 Friday, September 3, 2010 11:45 pm Updated: 12:46 am. = |=20 Tags:

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