DARLINGTON — Despite two miscues on special teams, Darlington sent Lancaster packing, 28-22, in a WIAA Division 6 Level 3 game on Friday, Nov. 3.

“Our kids have perseverance and grit. We didn’t play a perfect game,” Darlington head coach Travis Winkers said. “We thought special teams were in our favor, and we just coughed up two of them (touchdowns) for them (Lancaster). For them to respond was huge because there are a lot of teams that would have folded there.”

Aside from special teams, Darlington’s defense came out slow and allowed a touchdown on Lancaster’s opening drive. 

Full back Peyton Alvarado and quarterback Nolan Wolf split the carries, driving down the field in nine plays. Nolan Wolf scored on a keeper from 17 yards out to give Lancaster a 6-0 lead four minutes into the game. The Flying Arrows elected to go for 2 points, but Tye Crist stopped Alvarado short of the goal line.

On the ensuing kickoff, Maddox Goebel (14 att, 77 yds) fielded the ball and faked a handoff. He kept the ball and returned it to Darlington’s 48-yard line. In seven carries — including back-to-back first downs — Maddox Goebel set the Redbirds up at the Flying Arrows’ 10-yard line.

Reagan Jackson (11 att, 59 yds, 2 TDs) finished the drive with a rushing TD, tying the game at six. As Denilo Ramos-Godoy (2-for-2 XP) set up for the extra point, Lancaster jumped offsides. The penalty moved Darlington closer to the goal line, so much so that Winkers opted to go for 2 points, instead. Maddox Goebel found the end zone, giving the Redbirds an 8-6 lead with just over five minutes left in the first quarter.

On Lancaster’s following possession, Darlington’s defense locked in. Tye Crist tackled Nolan Wolf for a 3-yard loss. A false start pushed the Flying Arrows back another five yards. Nolan Wolf then threw an incomplete pass intended for Semaj Venson that was batted down by Will Murray and Dante Glendenning. On third-and-18, Tye and Ross Crist stopped Nolan Wolf short of the first down.

With Lancaster’s empty possession, Darlington looked to extend its lead on the ensuing possession. Those hopes went awry, though, as Maddox Goebel misplayed the hop and let the ball slip through his hands. Venson recovered the fumble in the end zone for a Flying Arrow touchdown. Nolan Wolf connected with Logan Wolf on the 2-point conversion, as Lancaster regained a 14-8 lead.

Instead of hanging their heads, the Redbirds responded on the next drive. 

“After giving up big plays, we don’t hang our heads,” Tye Crist said. “It’s next-play mentality. If we keep hanging our heads, bad plays will keep accumulating.”

Maddox Goebel made up for his mistake by converting on a fourth-and-1. On the next play, Jackson’s first down put Darlington in enemy territory. Three snaps later, Jackson ran 23 yards to the endzone to tie the game at 14.

“It was pretty big,” Jackson said of the score. “That gave us momentum to push them down and try to put the game away from there.”

After a Flying Arrow 3-and-out, Darlington extended its lead in the final minutes of the half. On three carries, Tye Crist (25 att, 108 yds, 1 TD) gathered eight yards, setting up a fourth-and-2. Following a timeout, Darlington drew Lancaster offsides to gather a first down. Three plays later, the Redbirds faced fourth-and-short again. This time, Breylin Goebel (2 att, 33 yds, 1 TD) moved the chains with a keeper. Tye Crist finished the drive with a 6-yard TD rush. With Ramos-Godoy’s extra point, Darlington took a 21-14 lead.

Lancaster had just 2:10 to work with before halftime. The Flying Arrows picked up two first downs before Carter Murray forced a fumble on Venson. Glendenning was there for the recovery, putting a stop to Lancaster’s momentum. 

“It was huge, especially when we got the ball to start the second half,” Winkers said. “To keep them out and have them licking their wounds a little bit was big.”

Darlington and Lancaster were unable to score in their opening drives of the second half. 

Following a sack from Breylin Goebel, the Redbirds got the ball back at their own 35-yard line. On third-and-5, Tye Crist (1 rec, 33 yds) made a basket catch on a 33-yard pass from Breylin Goebel (1-for-1, 33 yds). The play put Darlington just outside of the red zone. Six plays later, Breylin Goebel scored on a keeper to extend his team’s lead to 28-14.

The score proved necessary, as Brennen Gildersleeve returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards to the end zone.

With less three minutes left in the game, Lancaster looked to score again to take the lead. Alvarado picked up two first downs, putting his team near midfield. Nolan Wolf then attempted a pass to Quinton Ploessl but Tye Crist intercepted the pass.

“Right before half on their last drive, they ran the same post route,” Tye Crist said. “I was nowhere to be seen. When it came there at the end, I read it.”

Darlington ran the ball, using up the little clock there was left. To delay, Lancaster used its remaining two timeouts. Tye Crist’s first ensuing first down ensured that Breylin Goebel could kneel out the game, ending in a 28-22 win for Darlington.

“Tye is a tough-as-nails kid,” Winkers said. “He’s an undersized dude, but you have to kill him to put him down. He leaves everything on the field every game. As a coach, that’s all you ask for.”

With the victory, Darlington advanced to Level 4 for the third straight season. However, the Redbirds have lost their two previous Level 4 games.

“It’s amazing to get back there again. We’ve been there two times now and came up short,” Tye Crist said. “It’s hard to beat a team three times in Level 4, so we are going to be ready.”