A Second Chance
By Michael Ashford
Originally published 09:22 a.m., October 27, 2007
Updated 09:22 a.m., October 27, 2007
JUNCTION CITY — Edd Noonan thought he had fumbled away Emporia’s opportunity at pulling off the improbable.
With the Spartans 15 yards away from the end zone and trailing third-ranked and unbeaten Junction City by five points midway through the fourth quarter, Noonan took a handoff and slammed into the pile. At the end of the play, the ball was jarred loose from Noonan’s grip, and Junction City recovered.
It appeared as though the Blue Jays would escape the biggest threat they had experience all season long.
“I felt like crap,” Noonan said. “We were right there at the 15-, 20-yard line and were about to score, and I fumbled.”
With less than three minutes left, Junction City started its possession with a running play that went for six yards. Then, on the next play, Blue Jays quarterback Ty Zimmerman fumbled the snap from center, and Emporia came up with the ball.
The Spartans — and Noonan — got a second chance.
On the very next play, Noonan busted through the line and broke free for a 16-yard touchdown run that gave the Spartans the lead at 34-33, a score that would stand the rest of the way for EHS.
“I just saw nothing in front of me,” Noonan said of his game-winning touchdown run. “I just ran as hard as I could and dodged as many guys as I could and got in there.
With the victory, the Spartans (6-3, 2-1 District) qualified for the State playoffs as the Class 6A District 5 champions, thanks in part to Manhattan’s 15-10 upset over Wichita Heights.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Noonan said. “We’re going to the playoffs.”
Noonan’s game-winning scamper proved to be his final carry of the night, and what a night it was. The senior carried the ball a whopping 43 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Not only that, but he played nearly every snap on defense at linebacker, making him one exhausted but happy football player after the game.
“I’m tired,” he said, “but it’s well worth it.”
The Spartans earned their first playoff bid since 2002, and not only that, but in winning the District title over Junction City (8-1, 2-1) because they own the tiebreaker, the Spartans will play host to a first-round playoff game at Welch Stadium next Friday, most likely against Maize.
“I’m just speechless. I can’t believe we won,” EHS coach Bill Lowe said. “I can’t describe the feeling. I’m just so proud of our kids for their effort. They never quit.”
That the Spartans left Junction City as District champions was perhaps even more remarkable considering that halfway through the third quarter, it appeared Junction City was on its way to a blowout victory.
After a touchdown on the final play of the first half gave Junction City a 27-15 halftime lead, Emporia got the ball out of the break and drove all the way down to the Blue Jays 30-yard line. But on fourth-and-9, EHS quarterback Taylor Euler was sacked, giving the ball back to Junction City and its offense, which had piled up 202 yards of offense in the first half.
The Blue Jays struck instantly, as running back Corey Delaney sliced his way through the middle of the EHS defense for a 66-yard touchdown run that made it 33-15 after the two-point attempt failed.
It would be the last score for the Blue Jays.
“They had just the one play. We could’ve got down, but we didn’t,” Lowe said. “We told the kids at halftime to play one play at a time and don’t dare look at the scoreboard. They didn’t look at it and they kept playing hard.”
The two teams traded punts before EHS got the ball back on its own 34 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
The Spartans — behind a heavy serving of Noonan rushes — used 13 plays to reach the end zone to pull within 11 at 33-22 after Euler snuck it in from one yard out, his second TD of the night. However, the drive took 5 1/2 minutes off the clock.
The Spartans needed a big play to climb back into the game, and they got it four plays into Junction City’s next possession.
The EHS defense held the Blue Jays to only their second three-and-out of the game. Zimmerman lined up to punt, but after getting the snap, he was almost immediately met by a hard-charging Mark Kolmer, who easily stuffed the kick, which Emporia’s Harrison Stone picked up and returned 20 yards for the TD.
“Coach Lowe always tells us, ‘We’re going to win a championship with a blocked punt,’” Kolmer said. “They had one D-back trying to block me, and it wasn’t going to happen. I saw Harrison get it, and it was TD time.”
That made the score 33-28 after Emporia’s own two-point conversion attempt failed.
Noonan made his presence felt on defense too, recovering a fumble at the Spartans’ 49 to set the Spartans up for what could have been the game-winning drive. But that wouldn’t come until after Noonan fumbled himself, only to watch Junction City fumble it back and give him another shot at the end zone, which he made good on with one huge 16-yard run that sealed it.
“Edd Noonan, if somebody can’t see what kind of kid he is, they’re just not looking,” Lowe said. “Some of his runs in the second half were amazing, and he played defense too.”
Junction City had one final chance to win it, and got all the way to the Spartans’ 27, but four incomplete passes in a row — including a fourth-and-10 pass to a covered Colby Kamm — gave the ball to the Spartans, who ran out the clock from there.
“I can’t even believe it,” Kolmer said. “I knew if we played our guts out this week, we were going to win, and that’s what we did. It’s crazy.”
Added Lowe: “I’m so thankful that we have the kids that we have. Our kids just kept playing, and I’m so proud of them for that.”
Emporia 34, Junction City 33
Friday at Junction City
Emporia 7 8 0 19 — 34
Junction City 15 12 6 0 — 33
First Quarter
JC — Anthony Caine 8 pass from Ty Zimmerman (Cortez Delaney run)
JC — Jimmie King 23 pass from Zimmerman (Andy Birchmeier kick)
Emp — Noonan 2 run (Blaze Witten kick)
Second Quarter
Emp — Taylor Euler 1 rush (Harrison Stone pass from Euler)
JC — Zimmerman 4 run (rush failed)
JC — Brandon Martino 3 pass from Zimmerman (pass failed)
Third Quarter
JC — Corey Delaney 66 run (pass failed)
Fourth Quarter
Emp — Euler 1 run (Witten kick)
Emp — Stone 20 punt block return (rush failed)
Emp — Noonan 16 run (rush failed)
GAME STATISTICS
Emp JC
First downs 22 14
Rushes-yards 69-271 27-213
Comp-att-int 2-4-0 9-18-1
Passing yards 5 111
Total plays-yards 73-276 45-324
Fumbles-lost 2-1 4-2
Penalties-yards 6-30 3-28
Punts-avg 3-23.7 1-40.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Emporia: Edd Noonan 43-206, Mark Kolmer 9-42, Taylor Euler 14-28, Bryce Childs 3-(-5). JC: Corey Delaney 9-112, Barry Lawrence 5-50, Ty Zimmerman 9-43, Cortez Delaney 1-3, Jimmie King 2-3, Kevin James 1-2.
Passing — Emporia: Euler 1-3-0 13, Kolmer 1-1-0 -8. JC: Zimmerman 9-18-1 111.
Receiving — Emporia: Harrison Stone 1-13, Euler 1(-8). JC: Anthony Caine 5-41, Brandon Martino 2-32, King 1-23, Colby Kamm 1-15.
Punting — Emporia: Brandon Childs 3-23.7. JC: Zimmerman 1-40.0.
Records — Emporia (6-3, 2-1 District); JC (8-1, 2-1).