LONDON — Cullen Dalrymple connected on a 39-yard field goal with 1:22 remaining to lift South Laurel to a 17-14 victory over Knox Central Friday night.
The win was a bounce-back performance for the Cardinals following last week’s loss to Somerset and improved South Laurel to 2-1 on the season. Knox Central dropped to 1-2.
“We’re proud of our team for the big win tonight over Knox Central,” South Laurel coach Kohn Hines said. “I’m really proud of our team’s resolve. They just won’t give up. They battle and battle and battle and find a way to stay in the game and then find a way to win it at the end. It wasn’t pretty, we made a lot of mistakes that we’ve got to get cleaned up, but we are improving each and every week. But it’s a great win anytime you can beat a good team like Knox Central.
“We’re also happy for our senior Kicker Cullen Dalrymple,” he added. “He’s been a weapon on our team for the last three years, and really proved it tonight. A 39-yard field goal to win the game with a minute and a half to go is a really big deal.
“I’m proud of our defense,” Hines continued. “They hung in there played extremely tough. Ken Ellis made a huge hit down on the goal line that caused the fumble and saved a touchdown. Special teams was very solid. Offensively we made enough place in the second half to somehow put a couple drives together and get the points on the board. The two point conversion was a terrific play with Maddox Warren throw into Ken Ellis for the conversion to tied up. We’re going to continue to grow and take this victory and stride and move on down the line. It’s great to be a Cardinal.”
Knox Central struck first on a big play from Spencer Prichard, who broke loose for a 61-yard touchdown run with 7:53 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point put the Panthers ahead 7-0.
South Laurel’s Kenyon Ellis answered with a 63-yard touchdown run with 7:06 remaining in the opening quarter. The Cardinals missed the extra point, leaving Knox Central with a 7-6 advantage.
That score held until late in the third quarter when Prichard found the end zone for the second time. His short touchdown run with 11 seconds remaining, followed by the extra point, extended Knox Central’s lead to 14-6 entering the fourth.
Noah Ison scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 6:13 remaining in the game, pulling South Laurel within two. The Cardinals then converted the two-point attempt to tie the game at 14.
With the game still deadlocked in the closing minutes, South Laurel put itself in position to win, and Dalrymple delivered.
His 39-yard field goal with 1:22 remaining gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night, 17-14.
South Laurel made the three-point advantage stand, completing the fourth-quarter comeback and bouncing back from its first loss of the season with a hard-fought victory over the Panthers.
