For The Tribune
For more stories and photographs of the Brownstown Central-Seymour Jackson Bowl football game see Monday’s Seymour Tribune.
Jackson County’s two high school football teams have made a habit of producing thrilling games since the intra-county rivalry was rebooted in 2007, but Brownstown Central’s 43-42 victory over a crushed Seymour squad on Friday night had to be seen to be believed.
Three touchdowns were scored in the game’s final 37 seconds, leaving the two sidelines alternating between elation and devastation.
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A scrambling, desperation 53-yard touchdown pass from BC quarterback Kiernan Tiemeyer to wide receiver Brandon Reynolds with just two seconds remaining on the clock proved to be the final, no seriously, the final improbable play that secured the win for Brownstown.
Seymour appeared to have Tiemeyer trapped along the right sideline on the winning play, but the junior managed to find Reynolds, who had sneaked behind two Owl defenders and weirdly stood wide open when the throw found him. After catching the ball at the seven-yard line, Reynolds waltzed into the end zone for the decisive score.
That play was just one of a series of incredible game-changing moments during the contest’s final 40 seconds.
Seymour owned a 35-28 lead and had Brownstown pinned on its nine-yard line with 3:28 to play. For the second time in the game, however, the Braves started a 90-yard march. That magical drive ended with 37 seconds left when Lucas Hines plunged into the end zone from two yards out, reducing the deficit to 35-34.
Brownstown’s head coach Reed May then made the gutsy gamble to go for a two-point conversion, which his offense made good on when Tiemeyer connected with a wide-open Hines on a jump pass.
So, with a 36-35 lead with 37seconds on the clock, Brownstown was in good shape, right?
Not of this night.
On the ensuing kickoff, Seymour’s Chandler Drummond returned the ball 58 yards to BC’s 20-yard line, which was aided by a Brownstown personal foul that moved the ball to the 10.
After a false start penalty on Seymour, the Owls scored quickly when quarterback Cody Ruble found an open Colin Greathouse along the left sideline for a 15-yard touchdown reception. A Caleb Elliott extra point restored Seymour’s lead to 42-36 with just 17 seconds left.
Seymour had every right to feel good, right?
Again, not on this night.
A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Seymour after its touchdown forced Elliott to kickoff from his 25-yard line. BC took advantage with Hines returning the kick to the BC 47, setting up the Tiemeyer-to-Reynolds miracle.
Friday’s final minute was so great it was easy to forget the excellent game that came during the previous 47 minutes.
Seymour appeared to take control of the game in the second quarter, scoring twice on a 30-yard Drummond run and a three-yard Ruble-to-Drew Vehslage TD pass.
Brownstown erased that lead with two Hines TDs in the third quarter, which knotted the game at 21.
Seymour again seemed to take command after a 61-yard TD pass from Ruble to Jack Pennington and a four-yard Greathouse touchdown run.
Down 35-21 with just 5:49 left in the fourth quarter, BC first chipped away with a 35-yard TD pass from Tiemeyer to Reynolds. That score closed the gap to 35-28 with 3:58 remaining.
And, yes, that’s when the fun really started.
Seymour’s Ruble has an excellent game, throwing for 185 yards on efficient 13-for-15 passing. Greathouse led the Owls with 114 yards on just eight carries, including a 66-yard TD run in the first quarter.
For BC, Hines was dominant in the second half. The senior ended with 141 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He added three receptions for 41 yards and even completed a pass (for 33 yards) on an option play.
Tiemeyer finished with 151 yards on 8-for-14 passing, with three TD throws. Reynolds led all receivers with 130 yards on four catches.