Down 10 early in the fourth quarter, West Plains fought its way into the lead Friday night at Rogersville.
The Zizzers scored twice in the final period, turning a defensive takeaway into a go-ahead touchdown with just 52 seconds remaining. But Logan-Rogersville answered with a long touchdown pass with 31 seconds left to pull out a 36–30 victory.
It was a tough finish for West Plains after a rally that brought the Zizzers within a minute of a road win.
Big plays give Zizzers an early lead
West Plains struck first when Combs connected with Maupin on a deep pass. Maupin took it the rest of the way to the end zone, putting the Zizzers ahead 6–0 with 8:32 remaining in the opening quarter.
Rogersville responded with a touchdown drive to take a 7–6 lead, but the West Plains defense delivered the next big moment.
Roberts read a Wildcats pass, intercepted it and returned it for a touchdown. The two-point attempt came up short, leaving the Zizzers ahead 12–7 with 1:53 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats moved back in front with a touchdown early in the second. Later in the quarter, West Plains stopped Rogersville on fourth down deep in Zizzer territory and took over at its own 9-yard line.
Marshall helped move the offense away from its goal line with consecutive runs for a first down. A completion to Egly and another first-down run by Marshall kept the possession moving, but time expired with West Plains trailing 14–12 at halftime.
West Plains stays within reach
Rogersville opened the third quarter with a touchdown to stretch its lead to 21–12.
The Zizzers responded immediately.
Roberts returned the kickoff into Wildcats territory, giving West Plains a short field. Marshall followed with a series of runs that moved the offense inside the 10-yard line.
After a completion to Marshall brought the Zizzers to the 3, Combs found Patillo for a touchdown with 8:53 remaining in the quarter. The two-point conversion came up just short, but West Plains had narrowed the gap to 21–18.
The Zizzer defense followed with a stop that forced a Wildcats punt. Rogersville eventually put together another scoring drive, finishing it on the opening play of the fourth quarter to make it 28–18.
West Plains went back to work.
Zizzers turn the fourth quarter into a rally
Completions to Egly and Judd moved the Zizzers toward midfield. Combs then connected with Patillo deep downfield to reach the Wildcats’ 11-yard line.
Marshall carried to the 1, and Combs finished the drive with a touchdown run. With 9:32 remaining, West Plains had cut the deficit to 28–24.
The defense forced a punt on Rogersville’s next possession, with Judd and Roberts making stops against the run before an incomplete third-down pass.
Later, as the Wildcats worked to run down the clock, West Plains came up with the takeaway it needed. Colvin recovered a fumble, giving the offense another opportunity in the final minutes.
The Zizzers made it count.
Combs connected with Judd for a first down. A pass-interference penalty helped move West Plains into Wildcats territory, and a completion to Marshall brought the ball to the 31.
Combs picked up another first down on the ground to reach the 22. Then, with time running short, he found Judd over the middle at the 3-yard line.
Combs carried it in from there.
With 52 seconds left, West Plains had erased the 10-point deficit and taken a 30–28 lead. The extra-point kick was blocked, leaving the Zizzers ahead by two.
A final-minute finish
Rogersville began its next possession at its own 32-yard line. After a quarterback run, the Wildcats connected on a long touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining.
A successful two-point conversion made it 36–30.
West Plains got one final possession, but a holding penalty on the kickoff return pushed the Zizzers back to their own 16. Two deep passes fell incomplete before a sack ended the game.
The closing seconds brought a tough result after West Plains had battled back in front. Roberts’ interception return, Marshall’s running, timely catches throughout the offense and Colvin’s late fumble recovery all helped give the Zizzers a chance.
West Plains kept competing, and its fourth-quarter rally gave Zizzer fans plenty to cheer for along the way.
The Zizzers, now 5–2, travel to Parkview on Friday, Oct. 16, for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
#GoZizzers! #TheZizzerZone
