WESTON -- The play seemed harmless.
Backed up on its own 2-yard line and nursing a 26-22 lead with less than three minutes to play, Philip Barbour was looking for breathing room in the shadows of its own end zone.
However, quarterback Aaron Yeager found a wide open field down the Colts sideline for a 98-yard run to help secure a wild, 32-30 win over Lewis County.
"That was actually a play we just put in," Yeager said. "We knew (Lewis County) would go for (the fake to fullback Josh Skidmore).
"I faked the handoff and they just bit hard. Once I got to the outside there was nobody at all in front of me. It was like track season again."
The Colts (3-1) appeared headed for an easy win, scoring on all four of its possessions in the first half to build a 26-0 lead.
Yeager opened the scoring with a 22-yard run, while Scott Mayle added TD runs of 59 and 4 yards. Skidmore scored on a 1-yard run with 2:40 remaining in the second quarter to end the first-half scoring.
The lead was nearly squandered when a pair of botched punt attempts directly led to two Lewis County touchdowns in the third quarter. Lewis County quarterback Pat Morrison hooked up with Dustin Cavins for three TDs in the second half to lead the rally.
"I think we may have gotten a little complacent, and we come out don't get a first down and have some problems punting the ball," Philip Barbour coach Mike Michael said. "We seem to make mistakes in bunches and that's something we have to eliminate."
On the Colts' first possession, Lewis County's Tyler Hall recovered a snap which sailed over the Philip Barbour punter on the Colts 5-yard line. Three plays later, tailback Curtis Holden scored from 1 yard and then ran in the 2-point conversion.
After the second mishandled punt, Morrison, threw his first of three TD passes to Cavins -- this one a 26-yarder on fourth-and-nine.
After forcing a Philip Barbour punt, Morrison and Cavins struck again, this time from 20 yards out as Cavins made a juggling catch in the end zone while lying on his back with 9:00 to play. Scott Bennett's second PAT cut the lead to 26-22.
Lewis County appeared headed toward another score with the ball and on the Colt 18-yard line. However, defensive back Mike Poling picked Morrison off at the one-yard line to set up Yeager's run.
"This was a big game for both programs," Michael said. "Both of us are trying to get ourselves established. I think we're getting our kids to believe in themselves and getting some more confidence.
"We still have some things we have to get corrected, but we've overcame them and were able to get a win."
Lewis County added one more score on a 24-yard TD from Morrison to Cavins with 1:50 to play, but Philip Barbour recovered the onside kick to secure the win.
Skidmore led the Colts with 128 yards, and was followed by Yeager with 126 yards on eight carries and Mayle with 110 yards.
Sports writer Mike Nutter can be reached at 626-1444 or by e-mail at sports@exponent-telegram.com
