CHARLESTON — Zach Craig didn’t lose his focus on a batted ball in the end zone Friday night, and now Charleston has a clear view to the Class 3A state championship game.
Craig came down with the ball for a 13-yard touchdown reception that gave Charleston a 26-23 victory over Fountain Lake in the semifinals of the Class 3A state playoffs at Alumni Field.
The clutch play with 6:05 left capped Charleston’s comeback from a 10-point, second half deficit and advanced the Tigers to the state title game, where it will face Barton on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Fountain Lake, which lost to Charleston in the 2008 title game, moved to the Charleston 37-yard line before the Tigers took over on downs with 2:03 left to play. The Cobras managed one more play deep in their own end zone with 10 seconds left, but a short pass was stopped for a short gain.
Craig’s winning catch came after a 7-yard touchdown by Charleston (12-1) was nullified by one of the 22 penalties called in the game.
The Tigers then faced fourth-and-12 when quarterback Dustin Shelby rolled right looking for a receiver. Shelby spotted Craig near the back of the end zone, but his pass was batted in the air by a Fountain Lake defender. Craig, 5-9, kept his eye on the ball and made the catch while keeping both feet inbounds to give Charleston the lead.
“I broke off my rout and came back toward [Shelby], and I was just hoping he’d see me,” said Craig, a senior receiver. “A kid tipped it, and I knew I just had to make a play.”
The loss ended a seven-game winning streak for Fountain Lake (9-5), which eliminated Charleston in the quarterfinals in 2009. Andrew Davis had a 54-yard touchdown catch and a 64-yard punt return for the Cobras, who led 23-13 early in the third quarter.
Fountain Lake also contributed to its demise with five turnovers. Charleston had none.
“It’s hard to believe we were within three with five turnovers, but the game still came down to one play,” Fountain Lake Coach Tommy Gilleran said. “We needed to make a play down there and we didn’t.”
Both teams scored two touchdowns in the first half, but Fountain Lake led 16-13 after a pair of two-point conversions and a blocked extra point after a Charleston touchdown.
Fountain Lake took control in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by Makenzie Ross and a 64-yard punt return by Andrew Davis. Charleston, which easily handled Harding Academy 35-9 last week, then went on a 15-play, 64-yard scoring drive to cut the Cobras’ lead to 16-13.
David Weeks scored the touchdown with a burst up the middle on fourth-and-2 from the 3. Both teams called a timeout before the play, and Charleston considered kicking a field goal before Weeks scored the touchdown with 34 seconds left in the half.
“We made some adjustments at halftime, and our big-time playmakers came up with some big-time plays,” Charleston Coach Doug Loughridge said. “They say there’s something mystical about this field, and you’ve almost got to believe it with that last play.”
Charleston got off to a fast start in the game and scored in four plays after a 47-yard run by Dustin Shelby. Charleston had a chance to add to its lead after an fumble recovery by Seth McCann and an interception by Craig, but the Tigers could not take advantage.
Penalties hurt Charleston, and Fountain Lake adjusted to the midline option that shredded the Cobras on the opening series.
Davis gave Fountain Lake its biggest lead, 23-13, after his 56-yard touchdown catch, but the Cobras let Charleston back in the game after consecutive turnovers in the third quarter.
Charleston had one touchdown nullified by a penalty before a fumble recovery by Weston Schluterman led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Shelby. Shelby kept off the right side for 14 yards before going straight ahead to cut Fountain Lake’s lead to 23-19 after the extra point was partially blocked.