The vote was unanimous, and Friday night at Alexander Stadium, it was the difference in a 29-28 win over two-time defending state champion Alter.
Hartley, which had watched a 21-0 first half lead dissipate, got a determined run by Noah Key on a two-point conversion after quarterback Austin Underwood had connected with Juwaun Woodley on a 13-yard scoring strike with 2:05 left for that 29-28 lead.
“He rolled the dice,” Alter coach Ed Domsitz said after the Knights finished the season 11-3. “It was a gutsy thing to do. I might’ve gone for the overtime and see what happens.”
The Knights had one last chance to advance to their third straight state final, using a big play on their first play to move deep into Hartley territory with 1:45 left in regulation. Zane Pitzer hit a wide open Justin Winters for a 49-yard gain to move the ball to the Hartley 32.
Alter’s offense, however, hit a snag. Pitzer was chased down on second down, sacked on third down and was forced to dump the ball off on fourth down, setting off a wild celebration on the Hawks’ sideline.
“I thought our kids showed what they have been about all season,” Domsitz said. “They have played above what people thought they would all season.”
Hartley scored on three of its first four possessions with Key scoring on runs of 7, 51 and 62 — en route to 185 yards in the first half — to give the Hawks a 21-0 lead.
Alter was able to get on the board with 8 seconds left in the opening half on a 14-yard pass from Pitzer to Winters, and continued to chip away in the second half.
The Knights opened the second half with a 15-play drive that ate 6:12 off the clock which ended on a 9-yard run by Winters.
Winters tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard run before the Knights cashed in on the lone Hawks’ turnover of the night.
Difficulty in the exchange between Underwood and Key left the ball on the turf, and Alter’s Dylan Ames came up with the loose ball at the Alter 18.
Five plays later, Pitzer called his own number and broke through the line for a 38-yard scoring drive with 6:15 left in the contest.
“They weren’t ready at halftime to say the game was over,” Domsitz said. “I thought the score before the half gave us momentum, but we were still down two touchdowns and it would come down to what we would be able to do in the third quarter.”
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