With just more than three minutes left in regulation, the School of the Osage Indians trailed the Mountain Grove Panthers by 14 points.
Osage had only produced a field goal in the second half and six turnovers up to that point had fueled Mountain Grove's offense.
However, after getting a key turnover on downs deep in Mountain Grove territory, a short touchdown run by Justin Heiser closed the Panthers' lead to seven. A few minutes later, Collin Samuelson caught a 69-yard pass from Austin Riley and to tie the game just before overtime.
Jake Ulmer needed only two runs on Osage's first offensive series to give Osage a 43-36 victory and its first district championship since 2010.
Now, after a weekend of celebrating, the team is preparing to host the Monett Cubs, a team known for its aggressive defense and seven shutouts this season. Game time is 7 p.m. today.
"It's probably one of the fastest defenses we've seen all year," Osage head coach Devin Johnson said. "They're not necessarily real big, but they're very physical, they're very fast, and they swarm to the football."
Monett has more tackles for loss than Osage (89-82) and one more sack (29-28), but the real discrepancy appears when turnovers are brought into the equation. Monett has 25 fumble recoveries to Osage's nine and 12 interceptions to the Indians' 11.
The Cubs can effectively force turnovers, something the Indians have struggled with all year. Key turnovers lost them a chance at a comeback against California, turned their game against Blair Oaks into a one-sided contest, and almost lost them a berth in the quarterfinals just last week.
Senior wide receiver Collin Samuelson said taking care of the ball has been a big part of this week's practice.
"The turnovers are a big concern," he said. "Honestly, you can't win a game, realistically, with seven or eight turnovers. If we're going to win (tonight), we can't make those mistakes. I think that's a key point for us to concentrate on."
Offensively, the Cubs favor an option-style run game, though their quarterback, senior Zack Hammond, can pass the ball. He has 1,099 yards through the air with 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and he also has 499 yards on the ground with 16 touchdowns.
The most unique thing about the Monett running game is that it doesn't have a 500-yard rusher. Hammond and Quincy Jackson (489 yards) come close, but this team, which has more rushing yards this season than Osage, doesn't have just one standout player who can consistently find yardage. They operate with a committee of players capable of stepping up in any given game.
Osage's defense performed well against another option-oriented team in the Ava Bears two weeks ago in the district semifinal, letting up only a few big plays for scores, but otherwise handling the Bears. The same could be said of last week, but the offense's turnovers continued putting Osage's defense into a tight spot.
Osage players like stalwart nose tackle Brad Russell and linebackers Jeb Robertson and Scott Leelan largely contained the explosive Mountain Grove running game.
Regardless, Johnson believes Osage has a bit more depth offensively that gives it an advantage against teams like Monett.
"Every team has two or three of those guys, maybe not to the level that we do, but they've got the guys they count on," Johnson said. "What makes us special is that we've got Heiser, Jeb, Britt (McLaughlin), those third and fourth pieces that make plays. It's about making you defend our fourth option or our fifth option."
While those fourth and fifth options could give Osage the edge, their stars have shone brightly the past few weeks. Ulmer and Riley have both made huge plays at the right times, but Samuelson exploded in district play. He has 583 receiving yards and six touchdowns in the last three games.
For Samuelson, though, it's all a part of being someone the team can look to in the clutch.
"Coach Johnson always talks about being a leader and leaving a legacy, and I feel that I took that to heart and said, "That's my job,'" he said.
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