Greenwood falls on last-second Auburndale touchdown

Auburndale scored on the last play from scrimmage in the game on a 26-yard pass to snatch a possible win away from the Greenwood football team on Oct. 3 in Greenwood.The winning score negated a late Greenwood touchdown that had tied the game at 26-26.

Greenwood, now 0-2 in 8-man football play, was scheduled to match up with Bowler-Gresham on Oct. 2 for its homecoming game. It was cancelled due to COVID-19, however, and Auburndale was a late fill-in for a Saturday afternoon contest.

Greenwood took an 8-0 first-quarter lead on Sully Whitford’s 7-yard touchdown run and the 2-point conversion pass from Whitford to Dakota Clark.

Auburndale scored on the first play of the second quarter on a 9-yard pass from Hunter Wright to Kaden Hoffman. The conversion run failed. The visitors took a 12-8 lead a few minutes later on Wright’s 1-yard run.

Greenwood grabbed the lead back before the half as Whitford scored on a 5-yard run with a minute left before the break.

Back came Auburndale with a 24-yard scoring pass from Wright to Tim Schmitt with 5:16 left in the third period. The conversion run gave Auburndale the 20-14 lead. It extended the lead to 26-14 at the 7:25 mark of the final quarter on Terrance Roberson’s 30-yard run.

The Indians cut the lead to 26-20 with 4:57 left in the game, on Whitford’s 16-yard run. The Indians got the ball back, and quarterback Cooper Bredlau scored on a short run with 1:40 to go to knot the score at 26-26. Greenwood’s defense could not hold on, though, and Auburndale scored the game-winner as time ran out.

Greenwood had 332 yards of total offense in the game, with 264 of it coming on 46 running plays. Whitford ran for 107 yards on 16 carries, Xander Hinker added 95 yards on 13 attempts, and Bredlau picked up 62 yards on 17 carries. Bredlau also passed 13 times with five completions for 68 yards and an interception.

The Greenwood defense allowed 308 yards. Auburndale ran 37 times for 165 yards and threw 10 times with seven completions for 143 yards.

Greenwood turned the ball over four times, three of them on lost fumbles. Auburndale fumbled five times, but recovered four of them.