In a game where offenses were on full tilt and defense appeared to be optional, it was special teams that provided the key to victory as Nazareth outlasted Claude, 74-65, Friday night at Mitchell Zimmerman Field in Lockney in a UIL Class 1A bi-district matchup.
The win moves the Swifts (8-3) into the regional semifinals for the first time in three years where Nazareth will get Rankin (9-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Klondike.
Both teams scored on their initial two possessions in the first quarter which was nothing more than the preamble to the flurry of fireworks that were set off in the second quarter.
Nazareth entered that quarter up 16-14 and went to half up 54-52 as both squads scored at will. In all, the two teams found the end zone 11 times in that quarter. Claude briefly took the lead, 30-28, when Holden Tice hit Korbin Jackson on a deep post from 53-yards out. That lead only lasted 91 seconds when Cameron Pohlmeier toted the rock 40 yards to give the Swifts the lead back at 36-30.
That’s when special teams made its first mark for Nazareth. The Swifts Rhett Ethridge booted an onside kick that hit at the Claude 36 and squirted forward into open field. Nazareth’s Dayne Schulte, hustling the entire way, jumped on the loose ball at the Mustangs 31.
Three plays later, Pohlmeier started right, saw a crease in the defense, and raced nine-yards to paydirt and extended that Swifts lead to 42-30.
After Claude’s Trapper Godfrey raced in from 16-yards out to cut the lead to 42-38, both squads finished the half with a bang.
In the final 77 seconds of the first half both squads scored twice including the finale by the Mustangs. Down ten with 10.5 seconds remaining, Claude took over at their own 33. Facing heavy pressure, Tice stepped up in the pocket and found Jackson who tiptoed the sideline at the Swifts 15 with 1.9 seconds left on the clock.
Tice then finished off the half by scrambling to his left and found Jackson open in the back of the end zone to send both squads to the locker room with the Mustangs down two.
Claude won the coin flip at the start of the game and deferred to the second half which looked to be a great decision. On the first play from scrimmage, Godfrey broke free for a 47-yard scoring jaunt, and the Mustangs retook the lead, 58-54, with all the momentum on the Mustangs side.
However, the Swifts were unfazed, and their ground game went to work. Starting their next drive at the midfield stripe, Nazareth ran six straight running plays capped off by a Lincoln Pohlmeier up the middle from four yards out, retaking the lead at 60-58.
At this point, the game was headed to an ending where the last team to have the ball would win. That’s what made the ensuing kickoff so big for the Swifts. Ethridge squirted another onside kick into Claude territory where the ball found open space and sat at the Mustangs 34 for what seemed like an eternity.
With the ball laying in open territory, the Mustangs Jackson and Nazareth’s Fletcher Schacher both raced to the ball with Schacher winning the rugby scrum for the pigskin. That recovery was tantamount as the Swifts scored three plays later when Lincoln Pohlmeier found Daniel Schacher open in the middle of the field from 27 yards out for a touchdown.
The two-point conversion snap was high but Copper Farris brought it in, scrambled to his right, and found Schulte dragging across the back of the end zone for one point and a big two possession lead, 67-58.
Both teams exchanged fumble recoveries as the Mustangs took over at their own seven on a fumble by Cameron Pohlmeier with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.
Following a big loss, the Mustangs found themselves with a fourth and 18 at their own five. Tice sat in the pocket for an eternity before finding Godfrey downfield at the 33 for a first down that gave Claude life.
Three plays later, Tice scrambled to his left and found Brady Shelton open at the 10 and the junior receiver did the rest, breaking a tackle, and scoring from 44-yards out to narrow the lead to 67-65 after the Mustangs converted the one-point conversion play.
Undaunted, Nazareth began its next series at their own 38. After a short run, Ethridge was looking for Blaise Snead downfield on a pass that was under thrown. Jackson was unable to slow down and was called for the pass interference that moved the ball to the Mustangs 25.
Lincoln Pohlmeier then scrambled for 12 yards on the first down and Cameron Pohlmeier gave the Swifts a first down at the Mustangs nine after a solid four-yard run.
Jackson blitzed the gap on the next play, spilling Cameron Pohlmeier for a one-yard loss setting up a second and goal from the 10-yard line.
That’s when Cameron Pohlmeier scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the night as the tough as nails runner cut back inside and scored to give the Swifts a 73-65 lead.
This left Swifts head coach Tyler Goodwin with a decision to make. Having made only three of 10 kicks to this point, Goodwin opted to go for one to try and move the lead back out to a two-possession game. Lincoln Pohlmeier rolled to his right on a designed play and had the option to run or pass.
With his brother Cameron covered up in the back of the end zone, Pohlmeier took off for the right pylon and scored on a big one-point conversion play to put the Swifts up 74-65.
Claude, needing to score quickly, raced down field and found itself with a third and goal from the eight. Tice took the pitch and rolled to the near side and had an apparent touchdown pass to Jackson. However, the side judge ruled Jackson caught the ball with his foot on the sideline, so the Mustangs were faced with a fourth and goal.
With 2:10 remaining, Claude rolled Tice to the near side again and he avoided pressure before sending a shuttle pass to Reece Myers at the two. Lincoln Pohlmeier met Myers just as the ball arrived to stop the sophomore two yards short of the goal-line to seal the victory for the Swifts.
The Pohlmeier brothers were impressive all night long for Nazareth. Cameron carried the load rushing for 292 yards on 31 carries while Lincoln rushed for 79 yards on eleven attempts and found the end zone three times. The junior also passed for 61 yards and a score.
Tice was unreal in his final game as a Mustang. The Claude signal caller was 12-of-14 for 294 yards through the air tossing six touchdowns. Jackson had a great night on the receiving end hauling in four catches for 131 yards and three scores. Godfrey rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries and two scores and reeled in six balls for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
The Mustangs, competing in the Six-man playoffs for the first time since entering those ranks in 2018, finished a great season at 8-3.