Seneca beats Lift For Life to win Class 3 State Title
The third time is in fact a charm. After coming up short in the state title game the last two seasons, the Seneca Indians and Coach Cody Hilburn got over the hump with a 33-26 win over Lift For Lift to win the Class 3 state title on Friday in St. Joe.
This is the first state championship since 1995 and the third total in school history (1987).
The Indians close the season with a 13-1 record.
GAME ACTION
Seneca took the initial lead late in the first quarter when RB Roman Miller finished off a 45-yard drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 3:38 on the clock for a 7-0 lead.
Lift for Life converted on a 4th-and-goal from the 4-yard like on an inside touchdown run from RB Jay’Veon Scott but failed to convert the two-point conversion to trail 7-6 with 10:35 left in the first half.
Miller ripped off a 43-yard run before being tackled at the 10 to set up a second touchdown from a yard out with just under nine minutes to make the score 14-6.
Lift for Life used the big play when QB Phoenix Isaiah play faked before hitting WR DaShaun Moss for a 45-yard touchdown pass to time the lead to 14-12 with 6:20 on the clock.
It looked as if Miller scored for a third time in the first half when he punched it in from 6 yards out at the three-minute mark, but it was ruled a fumble and a touchback going the other way after a sideline review.
Lift for Life took the lead for the first time thanks to another big play just before the break when Isaiah hit Moss again for a 45-yard touchdown to make the score 18-12 with 53 seconds left.
Seneca refused to let the momentum slip away into the intermission when Miller found daylight and ripped off a 40-yard run down inside the 10 set up 12-yard touchdown pass from QB Brodie Probert to WR Drew Sherwood with 12.6 seconds left in the first half to regain the lead 20-18 into the half.
Seneca took possession out of the break and crossed the goal line first in the second half when Probert kept the ball for a 25-yard rushing score with 8:18 on the clock for a 27-18 lead.
Lift for Life answered with a scoring drive that culminated in a short-yard rushing score from Scott with less than four minutes to play in the third period to trim Seneca’s lead to 27-26 after converting the two-point conversion on a pass to Moss.
The Indians pushed the lead to seven, 33-26, after answering on the next drive with a 5-yard rushing score from Probert on second down with 10:52 left in the game.
Seneca looked to put the game away late before Probert fumbled the ball inside the 5-yard line to give Lift for Life the ball at the 1 with 1:18 left in the game. A personal foul penalty on Seneca early in the Hawks’ drive gave them the ball at their own 40. The Hawks got past midfield with 11 seconds left but would get no closer as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
STATS
Seneca amassed 402 yards of offense to Lift For Life’s 332 yards of offense.
Miller finished with 30 carries and 180 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Indians, while Probert rushed 25 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns.