The gold football is coming to Ensworth! Ensworth defeated Baylor 28-21 in a thrilling last-second come from behind victory to finally reach the summit of high school football after falling short in the playoffs in their first three attempts.
A scoreless first quarter filled with turnovers and miscues showed that both sides had some state championship jitters to overcome. In the second quarter, Baylor broke through with a 34 yard touchdown pass as Jacob Huesman masterfully evaded the rush and fired a strike on the run that hit Matthew Oelleri in stride down the sideline.
Ensworth answered back on their very next possession. After driving to the 35, Drew Parker threw up a jump ball to Cory Batey, who showed his athleticism and pulled it down to level the score with 7:45 remaining in the first half.
Baylor looked to go into halftime with the lead, advancing the ball all the way to the Ensworth 4 yard line. However, following 2 penalties on the subsequent series and a delay of game that nullified a 19 yard field goal that split the uprights, Andy Priddy’s 25 yard attempt went begging as it sailed wide left. The halftime score was 7-7.
Baylor got the ball back to start the second half, and this time they were able to hit paydirt. A 12 play 69 yard drive that culminated in a 2 yard Huesman sneak for a TD took 5:12 off the clock got the lead back for Baylor, taxing Ensworth’s defense in the process.
That fatigue showed the next time Baylor got the ball. Following a Drew Parker interception, Baylor got the ball in EHS territory at the 34, and they wasted no time running over, around, and through the Ensworth defense that had just been on the field for over 14 minutes of game time in a row. Huesman broke a 17 yarder that gave Baylor a commanding lead of 21-7 with 4:41 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
The next Ensworth drive would prove to be the turning point in the game. After one of many touchbacks from Baylor’s kickoff specialist, they got the ball at the 20. After a 12 yard gain on the first play, Corn Elder got the call, and he answered it to the tune of a 68 yard electrifying touchdown run. 21-14 was the score with 3:51 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Despite a quick turnaround, the Ensworth defense appeared to get its second wind, shutting down Baylor’s previously dominant running attack and keeping them off the board entering the 4th quarter.
Ensworth got the ball toward the end of the 3rd and took it 70 yards on 14 plays, the last one being a Drew Parker QB sneak from a yard out to tie the game, taking 5:42 off the clock in the process.
Baylor’s chance to respond was stifled, but they got the ball back with 4 minutes to go in the game. They picked up a first down, getting to their own 35, but Quinn Hamilton led the charge to stop them right there, picking up 2 sacks of Jacob Huesman that forced Baylor to punt the ball back to the Drew Parker-led Tiger offense with 1:21 left in the game.
Photo: HighSchoolSports.net
The fate of Ensworth’s final drive rested on Drew Parker’s right arm and his legs on one occasion. His scramble got Ensworth into Baylor territory at the 47. Several pass plays later, including a 20-yard strike to a wide-open Wirth Campbell down the middle, got the Tigers to the Baylor 11. Parker spiked the ball, setting up 2nd and 10 with 16 seconds left. As on the first touchdown pass, the play call again relied on the athletic talent of Parker’s strong-side receiver, and David Dingess did not disappoint, going up high to avoid what could have been a game-saving interception for Baylor and ripping the ball and the state championship dreams away from Baylor. The touchdown came with 8 seconds left on the clock, finishing Ensworth’s second straight comeback victory and bringing the state championship trophy back to Nashville.
-Alex Boehm
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