Avella rallies for win at Beth-Center
FREDERICKTOWN – Bryce Wright scored two touchdowns and Chas Rush added a go-ahead one-yard plunge that capped an Avella comeback as the Eagles rallied to beat Beth-Center 20-17 in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday night.
The game wasn’t decided until Beth-Center had a 31-yard field goal deflected as time expired.
Avella (2-1, 5-1), which suffered its first loss of the season last week, got back on the winning track by overcoming a double-digit deficit in the second half.
Beth-Center (1-2, 1-5) scored on its first possession. The Bulldogs took advantage of good field position and drove 45 yards for a touchdown. Enzo Brown scored on an 11-yard run on a counter play and gave B-C a 7-0 lead.
Avella tied it late in the first quarter. The Eagles faced a fourth-and-14 situation on the Beth-Center 47-yard line. The Eagles chose not to punt and quarterback Rush connected with Wright on a deep pass over the middle that went for a touchdown and a 7-7 tie.
The only points of the second quarter came at the end of a Beth-Center drive. The Bulldogs reached the Avella 2-yard line but were pushed back on two runs and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Hunter Bobbs and a 10-7 lead.
Beth-Center scored on the opening possession of the second half. Teagan Vetch capped a time-consuming drive with a nine-yard scoring run around left end that gave the Bulldogs a 17-7 lead with 6:07 left in the third quarter.
That’s when Avella started its comeback.
Wright scored on the first play after the ensuing kickoff. On a sweep to the right, Wright broke one tackle, cut back across the field and raced all the way to the end zone for a 63-yard touchdown to trim the B-C lead to 17-14. Wright finished with 177 all-purpose yards.
In the fourth quarter, Avella used a long run by Wright and a 12-yard scamper by Rush to reach the B-C 19-yard line. The Eagles took advantage of a pass interference penalty and picked up a first down at the Bulldogs’ eight on the next play.
Rush ran to the B-C two-yard, and two plays later he scored on a sneak that put Avella on top 20-17 with 2:33 remaining. The Eagles missed the extra point, which set up a wild finish.
Beth-Center drove to the Avella 19 and an offside penalty moved the ball to the 14 with only two seconds remaining. Bobbs attempted to tie the game with a field goal but his kick was deflected.