ELGIN, Ill. — Adonimi Parker blocked an extra point and returned it 97 yards for two points, and
Carter Hall scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run with 31 seconds left as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College beat Judson 28-27 on Saturday at Dawson Field for the first NAIA football victory in school history.
The Pomeroys led 20-0 in the first quarter before Judson scored 27 straight points. Harrison Hannah's 4-yard touchdown run put the Eagles ahead 27-20 with 1:52 remaining. Parker then blocked Chase Lando's extra-point attempt and returned it for a defensive two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 27-22 and putting SMWC within a touchdown of the lead.
Devayne Isom returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the SMWC 35, giving Hall and the Pomeroys 1:39 to drive 65 yards. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to midfield. Hall ran for 9 yards, then found
Joshua Murray on consecutive completions of 10 and 18 yards. On third-and-10 from the Judson 13, Hall connected with Kylif Miller for 12 yards to set up first-and-goal. After an SMWC timeout, Hall ran it in from the 1 to put the Pomeroys ahead.
SMWC's two-point attempt failed, and Judson reached the Pomeroys' 42 with six seconds left. Loughlin Walsh's 60-yard field goal attempt went wide right as time expired.
Hall completed 15 of 30 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns without an interception and ran for 22 yards and the winning score. Both touchdown passes went to
Corbyn Cleveland, who finished with five catches for 77 yards. Murray added five catches for 50 yards, and
Derron Hazzard led SMWC with 63 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Cian Moore's 54-yard return on the opening kickoff set up Hall's first touchdown pass to Cleveland, a 28-yarder on fourth-and-5.
Ethan Shird forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and
Aly Bakr recovered at the Judson 42. Hazzard ran for a touchdown on the next snap. Hall found Cleveland again from 24 yards out to make it 20-0 with 4:29 left in the first quarter.
Judson cut the lead to 20-14 by halftime and went ahead 21-20 late in the third quarter when Rehoboth Odunyemi recovered a fumble in the SMWC end zone.
Hezron Kincey led the Pomeroys with 16 tackles,
Aaron Davis added 13 and
Kerry Lacey intercepted a pass.
SMWC hosts the University of St. Francis (Ill.) for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 14. Kickoff for the Mid-States Football Association game is set for 1 p.m. ET at McMahon Field in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.
