It was an emotional night for the Skyhawk football team as they lost to Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 45-44.
It was obvious early in the first half that the Golden Eagles were going to put up a fight. UTM won the coin toss and kicked off to the Golden Eagles. Their quarterback, Darian Stone, set a pace early that the Skyhawks would have to match to keep up.
It seemed the teams were equally matched, but the Golden Eagles would prove their tenacity. With the clock ticking, Stone passed to Cody Matthews for a 20-yard touchdown. Zach Sharp’s extra point was good, putting the Golden Eagles up 7-0 with barely five minutes having passed in the first quarter.
The Skyhawks answered the call. Derek Carr positioned his team on the line of scrimmage after Chris Thompson returned a kick, earning 19 yards. Quentin Sims started the forward progress, gaining the first down. Carr set a ground-eating pace, passing to Jeremy Butler for a 7-yard run. At 12:23, Carr passed Sims for a 10-yard touchdown. Cody Sandlin’s extra point was good, tying the game 7 all.
Tennessee Tech started once again. After a long run of no scoring, Stone set his team up for a touchdown. But the Skyhawks weren’t going down without a fight. With tackles from J’Von Blackmon and Thad Williams, the Golden Eagles were forced to punt. The kick was good, putting the score 10-7 in favor of Tennessee Tech.
By the end of the second quarter, emotions were running high. Both teams had scored another touchdown. The Skyhawks were winning 14-10, thanks to an 8-yard touchdown run from Jason McNair. Golden Eagles’ Doug Page ran a 2-yard touchdown to put his team up 17-14. Answering the challenge, Sandlin kicked a 48-yard field goal tying the game 17 all at halftime.
At the beginning of the second half, UTM seemed to have a fire lit beneath them. At 10:01, Carr passed to Butler for a 6-yard touchdown. Sandlin proved he was the best by putting his team up 24-17 with a good extra point. But they weren’t done. With a hand off from Carr, DJ McNeil ran for a 2-yard touchdown. With another good extra point, UTM was on a roll.
But the good times didn’t keep rolling for long.
When Darian Stone got his hand on the ball, he didn’t stop. Stone passed to Matthews, who ran it in for a 20-yard touchdown. Sharp’s extra point was on target, making the score 31-24.
With three minutes left in the game, Stone handed off to Bud Golden for a 2-yard run. Sharp’s kick was between the uprights, tying the game once again. With less than a minute and a half left in the game, Stone found Ryan Tilghman. Tilghman made the 79-yard touchdown and Sharp put them in the lead with his extra point.
The Skyhawks weren’t going down without a fight. With 6 seconds left on the clock, Carr passed to Thompson for a 46-yard touchdown. Once again, Sandlin proved his mettle. When the clock hit zero, the score was tied 38-38.
The game headed into overtime.
The Skyhawks held the Golden Eagles to the goal line. Stone handed off to Page at the last moment. Page pushed past the defense for a 2-yard touchdown. Sharp’s extra point was good. The Golden Eagles were up 45-38.
UTM had one last chance. Carr proved he was up for the challenge. He passed to Butler in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown. But the bottom fell out when Satterfield fumbled the snap from Clay Sheley. With the score 45-44, the Golden Eagles pulled out the win.
The Skyhawks will be in action again Saturday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. against Tennessee State.
