Surviving a homecoming scare, a last-second red-zone stand helped the Chanute Blue Comets outlast the Independence Bulldogs, 27-20, in SEK League football action on Friday night.
A topsy-turvy night on the gridiron came down to the final possession of the night as the Bulldogs drove down the field trailing by seven points.
Independence secured a 1st-and-goal with 30 seconds left, but four straight stops by Chanute’s defense preserved its lead. On 4th-and-goal from seven yards out, Chanute sent six at the quarterback. Four got home, forcing an errant throw that was batted down in the end zone.
“I’m just happy we got the job done,” Chanute head coach Clete Frazell said. “Indy was driving late after we missed the extra point, so we were in a position where we could’ve lost. It was a high-stress situation, but we stepped up and made plays when it mattered.”
Chanute forced Independence to go the length of the field after scoring its fourth touchdown with just over four minutes left on a six-yard run from quarterback Kris Harding II.
“That was huge to get that drive going,” Frazell said. “We only got stopped twice all night and it was all self-inflicted. We finally put that mistake-free drive together to put ourselves in a position to go score.”
Harding finished the game 6-of-9 passing for 65 yards and a touchdown while adding 20 yards on the ground.
Asher Love led Chanute in rushing with 82 yards on nine carries while Jordan Patterson added 74 yards on nine touches.
The first quarter was a folly of miscues for the Blue Comets. Independence drove 95 yards on its opening drive en route to the end zone.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Bulldogs pooched it. Chanute’s return unit didn’t signal for a fair catch, allowing Independence to recover and score again on the next drive.
“They went on a good drive and played well upfront,” Frazell said. “Their quarterback and running back are dynamic dudes, so it was a heck of a first drive. Then I’m thinking we’ll get the ball and score right back. Then the kickoff changed things. I was never in panic mode, but I knew we had work to do.”
Independence’s offense outgained Chanute, 369-287, in total yards.
“We played hard, but we gave up a lot of yards,” Frazell said. “Momentum was huge. Independence plays differently if they believe they have a shot. If you jump on them early, they go in the tank. Well, they had a quick start and they stayed in the game. We wanted to start fast and get a couple touchdowns on the board. But Indy got the momentum early and gave us everything we wanted.”
But the Bulldogs’ lone turnover, an interception that was housed by Bo Small of the Blue Comets late in the first half, gave Chanute a lead it never relinquished.
“It was huge,” Frazell said. “We put pressure on the quarterback on that play and he had to get rid of it quickly. Bo Small did a great job reading the play and got underneath the route. That’s what we needed. It was a humongous play.”
Independence fell to 2-3 with the loss while Chanute improved to 3-2.
Up next
Chanute is on the road for the rest of the regular season as the Blue Comets head to Fort Scott in Week 6.
“We saw them in the offseason and they have some tough kids,” Frazell said. “They want to do what Indy wanted to do tonight, which is control the clock. We’ve got to be able to stop the run. If we can do that, we’ll be fine.”
