As the pass from Ankeny Centennial’s Chase Kluver sailed toward the right corner of the end zone, Sam Heither dove for the ball in an effort to make a spectacular catch.
Heither somehow made the grab, which would have provided the tying points for the sixth-ranked Jaguars in the third overtime of Friday’s game against No. 1 Dowling Catholic. Centennial only would have needed an extra point from Ryan Bendezu to pull off a dramatic 42-41 victory at Valley Stadium.
However, it wasn’t meant to be.
Heither apparently used the ground to help secure the ball as he made the catch in the end zone. Thus, the pass was ruled incomplete.
“I thought I had it for sure,” Heither said. “I thought I had possession.”
Two plays later, the game ended when another pass from Kluver to Heither was broken up by Dowling defensive back Joe Shimerdia in the same corner of the end zone, allowing the Maroons to escape with a 41-35 win.
“He was playing good coverage,” Heither said. “He knew kind of what I was doing. He wasn’t playing off of me. I tried to run a fade and then come back, because I was running fades before.”
Dowling (5-1) overcame a 21-3 halftime deficit by forcing four turnovers in the second half. The Maroons tied the game at 21-21 and sent it to overtime when Marty Blount kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired.
“The second half, to turn the ball over four times, that’s very hard to overcome,” said Centennial co-head coach Ryan Pezzetti. “Our defense held up on a few of them and they played great, but you can’t do that in those big games. I think those were our first two fumbles in six games.”
The two teams then traded punches in the overtime periods. Dowling took its first lead of the game, 28-21, on a 1-yard run by Ra’Shawd Davis, who rushed for 92 yards on 27 carries.
The Jaguars (4-2) answered with a 3-yard run by Braeden Jackson to force a second overtime. It was his third touchdown of the night.
Centennial took a 35-28 lead when Heither pranced into the end zone from a yard out on fourth down.
“I thought we had it, but ultimately it just led to a well-played game,” Heither said. “I thought (Dowling) played well. It came down to the last play. It didn’t go the way we wanted it, but it’s all right.”
Dowling tied the game at 35-35 when backup quarterback Joey Nahas fired a 6-yard scoring pass to Trey Wilson on third down. Nahas, who entered the game early in the fourth quarter after starter Parker DePhillips got banged up, completed 7-of-11 passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns.
“It was kind of hard being pinned down at the 10,” said Centennial linebacker Reed Anderson, who made 13.5 tackles in the loss. “I think we still brought some good energy. We played our hearts out all game and in the overtime.”
The Maroons took a 41-35 lead in the third overtime when Nahas lofted a 15-yard scoring pass to Sam Drexler in the left corner of the end zone. Blount’s PAT attempt was blocked, but Centennial was unable to score on its possession.
“It was fun,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, we’ll see them down the road again in the Dome. I think we will.”
Centennial dominated the first half, outgaining the Maroons by a 216-109 margin. Caleb Reed had three catches for 100 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown pass across the middle that gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead with 1 minute 15 seconds left in the first quarter.
A 43-yard pass from Kluver to Reed set up Centennial’s next touchdown. Jackson dashed 29 yards to the end zone to make it 14-0 with 7:26 remaining until halftime.
Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Jaguars’ 23. That led to a 42-yard field goal by Blount that put the Maroons on the board.
The Jaguars answered with a five-play, 67-yard scoring drive. Kluver fired a 35-yard pass to Jeremiah Bassett to set up a 26-yard touchdown run by Jackson, who ran for 73 yards on eight carries in the opening half.
“I was really pleased with how our kids played,” Pezzetti said. “We played hard and very aggressive at times.”
In the second half, Dowling’s defense kept the Maroons in the game. Joel Sankoh intercepted one pass from Kluver, then Owen Pins picked off another one that then led to a 7-yard touchdown run by Davis midway through the third quarter.
Centennial had a chance to increase its lead after Kluver connected with Heither for a 45-yard pass to the Dowling 23. However, the Maroons then recovered a fumble five plays later at the 16.
After the Jaguars forced a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter, they were unable to move the ball. A 57-yard punt by Isaiah Bassett pinned the Maroons at their own 18-yard line.
Then, on the next play from scrimmage, Jakob Skau got behind the Centennial secondary and Nahas found him for an 82-yard scoring strike. Nahas then passed to Drexler for a two-point conversion, cutting the Jaguars’ lead to 21-18 with 8:36 left.
Centennial’s defense came up with another big stop on the Maroons’ next possession. Ian Middleton was stopped for no gain on back-to-back plays at the Jaguars’ 12-yard line, forcing a turnover on downs with 4:44 to go.
Centennial picked up one first down on its next possession, but Dowling then recovered another Jaguars’ fumble three plays later. That led to Blount’s tying field goal in the final seconds.
“I would love to play them again,” Heither said.
The Jaguars will host Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5) on Friday.
“We know everything is still in front of us, and we’re excited to get back to work,” Pezzetti said.
