FOOTBALL: Frashier’s last-second score lifts Chase past Polk County

Published 12:19 pm Monday, October 21, 2024

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Chase quarterback Zac Frashier scored his third touchdown Friday with 34 seconds remaining, lifting the Trojans to a 27-26 victory over Polk County in a Mountain Foothills 7 Conference matchup at Allen Field.

Frashier’s touchdown capped a remarkable evening in which the senior recorded 50 rushing attempts, gaining 273 yards. According to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association record book, those attempts match the seventh most in state history in a single game.

Polk County (1-5, 0-2) saw its hopes for gaining its first win since the season opener at Madison slip away as the Trojans (1-6, 1-2) drove 77 yards for the game-winning score. But the Wolverines will no doubt rue failing to convert a pair of fourth-down plays in the second half, helping keep Chase’s victory hopes alive.

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The first of those came midway through the third period, the Wolverines leading 20-14 at the time, after Sawyer Huff blocked a Chase punt, giving Polk County possession at the 28. Donte Tingling raced inside the 5 on Polk’s first play, but a holding penalty pushed the ball back to the 26, and the Wolverines failed to convert a 4th-and-4 at the 22.

Polk forced another Chase punt and took possession at its 45. The Wolverines moved to the 34, where they faced 4th-and-2. Styler Blackwell was stopped inches short on the fourth-down try, giving the Trojans the ball with 1:09 left in the third period.

Two big plays followed that stop to return the lead and momentum to Chase. Frasier faked a punt and converted a 4th-and-8, gaining 15 yards, before tossing a 45-yard touchdown pass to Devin Mosley. Kleber Fabian added the point after to put the Trojans up 21-20 with 8:55 remaining.

Polk County immediately responded. Blackwell snared a pass from Gunnar Alm and carried two would-be tacklers for a 30-yard gain to the Chase 30. Tingling handled things from there, needing just two plays to reach the end zone and give Polk a 26-21 lead, the Wolverines’ 2-point conversion attempt failing.

Polk stopped a Chase 4th-and-1 try near midfield, but the Wolverines were unable to gain a first down on their possession and had to punt, leading to Chase’s game-winning drive.

The Wolverines struck first, scoring on a Blackwell 2-yard run late in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. Chase answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, with Frashier carrying on 11 of those plays, including a 1-yard plunge that evened the score at 6-6 with 6:29 left in the first half.

Polk needed just one play to answer. Aaron Dickey’s kickoff return gave the Wolverines the ball at the Trojan 46, where Alm fired a first-down strike over the middle to Karson Scruggs, who outleaped a defender for the pass and then outraced two others to the end zone. Scroggs then flipped a pass to Tingling for the 2-point conversion, putting Polk up 14-6 with 6:08 to go in the half.

Chase answered with an 11-play, 92-yard drive, with Frashier ending it with a 2-yard touchdown run. He then added the 2-point conversion to make it 14-14 with 1:06 left in the half.

Again, Polk answered, needing two plays to retake the lead. The second of those saw Alm loft a perfect strike down the left sideline to Loreynzo Sanchez, who had slipped behind a defender. Sanchez raced to the end zone to complete the 57-yard scoring play, putting Polk up 20-14 just before the half.

Tingling finished with 102 yards on seven carries for Polk, with Alm completing 10-of-18 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Polk County returns home next week, celebrating Homecoming while hosting East Rutherford for a 7:30 p.m. battle.