WOW!  People from Coleman and Early will be talking about this one for a long, long time.  It took two overtime quarters to decide, but the Early Longhorns beat the Coleman Bluecats 29 to 26 before a packed house at Hufford Field.  Like two heavyweight fighters standing in the center of the ring going toe to toe, the Bluecats and Longhorns pounded each other all night long.  Shoulda, woulda, coulda, the stats show how even this game was, from rushing to passing, punts and yes, the turnovers.  This game will be analyzed, dissected, sliced, diced and run through the blender time and time again.  Bottom line, as Coach Rusty Buzzard told Colemannews.com after the game, the playoffs start this week, the Bluecats have to win the next two games against Ballinger and Jim Ned to advance any further.  This reporter believes that Coleman has a talented and classy bunch of kids, no doubt they will get the job done.

The end of the game played out as follows:  With 1:19 left in the game, Coleman marching toward the north end zone of Hufford Field, Colton Buzzard connected with Chase Avants for a 14 yard TD pass.  Down by two points, the Bluecats went to the air for the two point conversion.  Buzzard  found Avants in the end zone for the catch to tie the game 26 to 26.  Early tried to mount a quick drive but Coleman's Jamal Agbor sacked Longhorn quarterback Eric Skaggs to force a punt.  Regulation time ended near mid-field with Coleman in possession.

After a brief meeting at mid-field between the officials and two head coaches, Coleman got the ball first at the 25 yard line.  The series ended in a fumble by Bluecat QB Colton Buzzard.  Early's first series in OT came down to a 4th and 5 play at which time the Horns decided on a 25 yard field goal which sailed wide right, forcing a second overtime.  Early got the ball first this time and found themselves in familiar territory, 4th and 4, time for another field goal, a 29 yarder by Mitchell Bailey which was good to give Early the lead (and eventually the win) 29 to 26.  Coleman's last drive was made up of a 5 yard off-sides penalty on Early to put the ball at the 20, two incomplete passes to Dalton DeLeon, a run by Colton Buzzard stopped for no gain and an incomplete pass to Chase Avants.  Game over, Early 29, Coleman 26.  Early is now 4-1 in district (6-2 overall).  Coleman is now 3-2 in district (6-2 overall).

The Bluecats won the coin toss to begin the game.	Ndifon (#64) and Jamal (#60) Agbor.
Bronson Buzzard meets Joey Neely (#3).	Shelton Cogdill (#10) slows Neely (#3) while Dalton DeLeon (#1) closes to make the tackle.
Bluecats and Longhorns gather at mid-field after the game.	Chase Avants catches the 2pt PAT which tied the game 26-26.

COLEMAN - Like a scratched CD, the Big Country Game of the Week continues to skip along with the same result.  For the third time this season, the contest ended after regulation, with Early's 29-26 double overtime win over Coleman on Friday at Hufford field.  It was the sixth time the game of the week has been decided in the final moments.  Mitchell Bailey hit a go-ahead 30-yard field goal in the second overtime to lift Early (6-2, 4-1 District 6-2A), which overcame five turnovers and 12 penalties to get the win.  Bailey's field goal served as redemption, coming just moments after he missed a potential game-winner from 27 yards in the first overtime.

The Longhorns overcame a 12-6 halftime deficit to drop Coleman to 6-2 and 3-2.  The Bluecats forced overtime when Colton Buzzard hit Chase Avants with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 1:19 left in regulation.  Now they must close with wins over Ballinger and Jim Ned to reach the playoffs.  Down by 6 at the break, it took the Longhorns all of 51 seconds to reclaim the lead in the second half, when Zac Harris scored on a 58-yard run on the second play from scrimmage.  Trailing 13-12, the Bluecats provided the game's third lead change when Buzzard scored on a 1-yard sneak with 3:18 left in the third quarter.  The 'Horns struck back with 5:37 left in the game when Eric Skaggs hit Evin Hall with a swing pass, which he took 65 yards for a touchdown.  A 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving Early with a 19-18 lead.  Short on time, Coleman elected to gamble on fourth-and-4 at its own 40 on the ensuing possession, but failed when Curtis Yates was thrown for a 2-yard loss.  Four plays later, Early took a 26-18 lead when Collin Rome crashed in from 6 yards out with 2:44 to play.

Coleman, however, wasn't dead.  The Bluecats took the ensuing kick-off, and drove 66 yards in six plays, capped by Buzzard's touchdown pass to Avants.  A 2-point conversion followed, with Avants leaping to make the catch in the corner of the end zone.  Once into overtime, the Bluecats' first possession ended when a Buzzard fumble was recovered by Bailey.  But when Bailey had an opportunity to end it with a 27-yard field goal in Early's first overtime possession, he hooked it left.  In the second overtime, he redeemed himself with a go-ahead 30-yarder after a delay of game penalty pushed it back 5 yards.  Coleman's last gasp came on fourth-and-5 from the 20, when a pass from Buzzard intended for Avants was batted away at the 5-yard line.