Booneville, Miss. – In a rivalry that isn't a stranger to wild finishes, Thursday night's North Division showdown between the Indians and Northeast Tigers could be one of the wildest. With the game tied with under 20 seconds to play, Northeast scored two touchdowns to pick up a 31-17 win.
Northeast scored the game-winning touchdown on a 30-yard pass with 11 seconds left on the clock and added another on a pick six on the Indians' ensuing drive.
The Indians (1-4, 0-2 MACCC North) kept the ball on the ground in the first half and built a 14-3 lead by halftime with touchdowns by RJ Wilson (Independence) and Jamal Brooks (Ripley).
Wilson gave the Indians an early lead on his two-yard touchdown run with 8:25 left in the first quarter, and Brooks extended the lead to 14-0 on a six-yard run with five minutes left in the second. The Tigers kicked a 31-yard field goal with just over a minute left before halftime.
Northeast opened the second half scoring its first touchdown of the game, but the Indians answered with a 22-yard field goal by Shane Lasher (Olive Branch). However, the Tigers tied the game at 17 before the end of the quarter on a long pass play.
The game appeared that it might come down to a long field goal or head to overtime before the wild final seconds of the contest occurred to give the Tigers the win.
The Indians will look to rebound next week as they travel to Moorhead for another North Division road test against Mississippi Delta Community College. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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