GOODLAND, KS -- In one of the more bizarre games ever at Cowboy Stadium the Goodland Cowboy football team upset the fourth-ranked team in 2A, the Norton Bluejays in overtime, 28-25.
The game could have not started any better for GHS as junior Manny Gonzalez returned the open kick back to the house from 90 yards out to give Goodland the early lead.
Norton would score the next 22 points unanswered. Two of their scores came in the final minute of the first half, one of them a scoop and score for the Bluejay defense.
Goodland would make adjustments at halftime and would completely flip the script in the second half. After the Cowboy offense was held to just 21 total yards and zero first downs in the opening half the Cowboys put up over 200 yards of offense in the second 24 minutes.
While the Goodland D, which had given up 148 total yards in the first half, completely stuffed Norton and held the Bluejays to just 68 yards in the second half.
Those two factors combined to see GHS score two second-half touchdowns, both from senior Mason Hernandez, tying the game at 22 and sending it to overtime for the second straight year against the Bluejays.
In OT, Norton would get a 23-yard field goal to open the extra time. Goodland would then get penalized on their first offensive play of overtime and it would set up 1st and goal from the 20.
Mason Hernandez would throw a jump ball to 6-5 sophomore wideout Linkon Cure in the endzone and Cure would pull it down to give Goodland the victory.
It was just the second overtime win for Goodland all time and their first since 1972. The win also gave the Cowboys the all-time series lead against Norton 29-28-1.
Goodland (1-4, 0-1) will return to district play next Friday hosting rival Colby while Norton (4-1, 1-0) will also continue district play by hosting Beloit.
Recap:
Coach Jordan Moshier Postgame Comments:
Highlights:
Stats:
Photo Credit: Jackie Elliott