Marist edges SW DeKalb on 59-yard field goal with three seconds remaining

During halftime of Friday Night’s GPB Game of the Week, right after Southwest DeKalb’s band had performed yet another masterpiece, Marist placekicker Austin Hardin practiced his field goals and he just missed a booming 60-yard attempt. He had the distance just not the direction. With :09 remaining, Hardin would have the leg AND the direction to help Marist rally from down seven in the third to win 17-14.

Sophomore Gray King got the scoring going after a scoreless first with a thirteen yard scamper on an option pitch from Marist QB Andy Perez. About eight seconds later the score would knot up at 7-7 after a 47-yard kick return from Moses Charles and then a 53-yard screen pass catch and score from Nicholas Barnett. The Panthers of Southwest DeKalb would stand firm after Marist had second-and-goal from the one-yard line, eventually stopping King on a fourth-down rush for a five-yard loss.

In the third quarter, junior linebacker Toran Davis tried his hand at running back and found paydirt to give the Panthers a 14-7 lead in the third. In the final quarter, Marist was slicing the Panther defense to get fourth and goal from the one yet again. This time King was able to plop into the endzone for his second score. After stopping Southwest DeKalb and regaining possession, the War Eagles drove to the Panther 42 before stalling out. Instead of punting with nine seconds remaining, the junior Hardin was called upon and the heir to Justin Moore’s job was up to the job, splitting the uprights on a kick that would have been good from 65 out.

The War Eagles improved to 3-1 while Southwest DeKalb fell to 2-2. Tucker still leads Region 6-AAAA, but Marist is in a prime position to make the playoffs with this big win over a traditional region rival.