Palo Alto (CA) vs. Souderton (PA)

“KNIGHTS WIN IN FINAL SECONDS!”

For years it will be known as “The Drive.” And around Palo Alto , California , the legend of the PA Knights who pulled it off will be passed down for years! The drama of this incredible Jr. Midget Division 1 opening game between the Palo Alto (CA) Knights and the tough Souderton (PA) Braves of kept fans glued to the action right from the opening whistle.

With Souderton ahead 16-14 starting the fourth quarter, the Knights took the ball on their own 40 and moved across the 50 with a ten yard strike. Just as the Knights began to get into a groove, however, the Knight quarterback threw an interception on the Braves 13.

Following the interception, the Braves took over and marched the ball methodically downfield to the Knights' 25 yard line. With the Braves the clock continuing to run, Knights coach Eric Borjon felt he had to stop the momentum. Wanting to be conservative with his timeouts, but needing the momentum change, Knights' Coach Borjon called a time out with 4:21 left in the game.

This timeout would prove to be the momentum changer that Coach Borjon was looking for. Asked what he told his team in the huddle, Borjon responded, “I told them to anticipate the pass. I told my corners to stay up and blitzed my linebackers hoping to get to the quarterback.” Get to the quarterback they did, forcing a fumble and recovering the ball on their own thirty.

That's when the real work began. The task was clear, march 70 yards to win and advance, or play in the consolation round on Wednesday. Understanding the task ahead, the Knights went to work. “The Drive” began with a runs of 5, 9 and 7 yards. But, while the Knights were gaining yards, they were losing time and with 58 seconds left in the game, the Knights faced a fourth and inches. As they had done up to this point in the game, Palo Alto remained calm and picked up the first down with a dive up the middle . They then crossed the 50 on a nice screen play in the middle of the field and called time-out.

The clock was now down to “25 seconds”. It was time to take to the air for one last gamble. Working from the shotgun, the Knights quarterback faded back and uncorked a beautiful spiral to his wide-out streaking down the right sideline. The pass hit his outstretched hands as he streaked behind the Braves cornerback and, with the fans going wild, he raced 45 yard for a touchdown.

The Braves got the ball back, but trying to make a last ditch desperation attempt threw a game ending interception. Final score Palo Alto 20- Souderton 16. Congratulations to BOTH teams on a whale of a ball game! The Knights now go on to play the Cedar Crest Comets from Texas in a Jr. Midget semi-final game , while Souderton goes on the play the Bridgeport Raiders. Both games are scheduled for Wednesday at Disney Wide World of Sports.