EPC beats Marked Tree to win conference title

Dennis Gaines, Jr. had to run close to 50 yards to score the game winning 13-yard touchdown Friday night as the Warriors (9-1, 7-0) beat Marked Tree 38-32 in double overtime to win the 2A-2 conference title.

Gaines, Jr. took the direct snap and tried to run left only to reverse his field and run back to right outracing the defenders to the corner of the end zone. The win gives EPC home field advantage until the state finals as the Warriors will host Bearden in the opening round. The Indians (7-2, 5-2) will travel Hazen to play the defending 2A state champions.

EPC got the ball first to start the game as Tyrus Reel returned the kick-off to his own 34-yard line. The Warriors moved the ball to the Marked Tree 26 yard line before turning the ball over on downs at the Indians' 22 yard line with 9:12 left. Marked Tree moved the ball to their own 43 yard before Ken Carter found Cam Marshall behind the secondary for a 57-yard scoring strike to make it 6-0 Marked Tree with 7:07 left. T.J. Hodges was stopped on the two-point conversion run.

Dennis Gaines, Jr. of EPC runs for some of his 230 yards Friday night in Lepanto. (Photo by Cosmo Cossey)

Anthony Parrish fielded the ensuing kick-off at the Warriors' 36-yard line for EPC's second possession. The Warriors drove the field and scored on a one- yard run by Gaines, Jr. to tie the game at six with four minutes left it the opening quarter. Tyler Moore was stopped on the two-point conversion try. Marked Tree's next series started at their own 37-yard line after the kick-off went out of bounds. The Indians' went for it on fourth down but pressure on Carter forced him to throw the ball away. The turn over on downs gave EPC the ball at their own 39 yard line with 50 seconds left. The quarter ended with the game still tied at six.

The Warriors were facing second and seven when the second quarter started and ended up having to punt with just over 11 minutes left.

Marked Tree took over at their own 15-yard line with 11:11 left. The EPC defense then put points on the board as Eli Blagg tackled Carter in the end zone for a safety to make the score 8-6 EPC with 10:22 left.

EPC's Moises Penaloza sacks Marked Tree quarterback Ken Carter on a fourth down play in overtime during EPC's 38-32 double overtime win this past Friday in Lepanto. (Photo by Cosmo Cossey)

Tristan Lard returned the Marked Tree kick-off to the Indians' 43 yard line with 10:15 left. EPC gave the ball to Marked Tree after Gaines, Jr. couldn't handle a high snap and Timothy Risper recovered the loose ball at his own 25-yard line. A dead ball face mask penalty against Marked Tree moved the ball back to their 15 yard line with 7:56 left. EPC's defense would put points on the board once again as the Indians Hodges coughed the ball up and Michael Collins, Jr. picked up the ball and ran it in from six yards out to make it 14-6 Warriors with 6:56 left.

The Indians' Gavin Teague recovered the onside kick at his own 49 yard line with 6:51 left. A high snap on fourth down forced Carter to scramble before getting the pass off only to have Cooper Argo knock the pass down to give EPC the ball on their own 33 yard line with 4:36 left. EPC had to punt the ball away and Argo's punt was downed on the Marked Tree 49 yard line where the Indians took over with 2:55 left.

Marked Tree moved the ball to the EPC 23-yard line where Carter found J.J. Risper open for a 23-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-12 EPC with 1:51 left. Argo again came up big as he knocked down the two-point conversion pass to keep the Warriors up two.

Argo couldn't handle the ensuing kick-off and Marked Tree recovered the ball at the Warriors' 25 yard line with 1:45 left in the half. Carter was then flushed out of the pocket on fourth down and he hit the right sideline, then cut across the field running to the EPC five-yard line with 1:25 left. Hodges looked ready to score for the Indians only to have Gaines, Jr. strip the ball and run it out to the EPC 20 yard line with 1:05 left. The half ended during the Warriors' drive with EPC leading 14-12.

Jayvion Tribble recovered EPC's onside kick to start the second half with the Indians starting their possession at Warriors' 49 yard line. Penalties hurt the Indians on their possession as they had to punt with 11:08 left and the ball was downed on the EPC 30 yard line. Penalites plagued EPC's drive as well as they turned the ball over downs at their own 46 yard after an incomplete pass from Argo on fourth down 6:36 left. Carter used his legs to give Marked Tree a first down at the EPC 31-yard line with 5:34 remaining. EPC's defense came up big as they sacked Carter on fourth down at their own 48 yard line with the Warriors taking over with 4:31 left. Marked Tree's defense came up with a turn over when Ladarrius Brown intercepted Argo's pass and returned the ball to the EPC 41 yard line with 3:51 to go. The Indians moved the ball to the EPC 11 yard line before Carter found J.J. Risper on an 11-yard touchdown pass making it 18-14 Indians with 1:57 left. Hodges ran in the two-point conversion to make it 20-14 Marked Tree.

EPC took the kick-off and moved the ball to the Marked Tree 45yard line before the third quarter ended.

EPC's offense moved to a heavy set and started to pound the ball with their ground game as they moved the moved the ball to the Marked Tree 29 yard line as Gaines, Jr. took the direct snap and went left before handing the ball off to Dee Buchanan coming back right, who went 29 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-20 with 10:48 left. The Warriors tried a little pitch-back pass on the two-point try only to see Landon Lewis knock the pass down in the end zone. The Indians started their next possession on their own 42 yard line before driving down the field where Carter found Ja'Kaymion Williams in the left corner of the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 26-20 Marked Tree with 8:56 left. The two-point run was no good as Tate Swink lost his footing when trying to cut. Trevar Smith returned the kick-off out to his 39 yard line for EPC's next series. The Warriors then put together a 61-yard drive with Gaines, Jr. scoring from a yard out to tie the game at 26 with 3:40 left.

EPC's onside kick bounced off a Marked Tree player with Argo recovering the live ball at Indians' 41 yard line with 3:35 left. Jonah Walker came up with an interception for Marked Tree as the clock showed all zeros sending the game to overtime.

EPC got the ball first in the overtime as Gaines, Jr. scored from three-yards out to give the Warriors a 32-26 lead. Gaines, Jr. was stopped on the two-point run.

Marked Tree answered as Carter found Marshall with a seven-yard pass to tie the game at 32-32. Hodges was stopped just short of the goal line to keep the score 32-32.

The Indians got the ball first in the second overtime and Carter was forced to scramble on fourth down as Moises Penaloza came up with a big quarterback sack to end the possession.

Gaines, Jr. ended the game with his 13-yard touchdown run giving the Warriors the 38-32 win.

“Dennis works so hard year round to get his body ready for football. He's just a trooper. His effort and intensity is just awesome,” EPC head coach Brandon Powell said of Gaines, Jr. being able to continue late in the game. “Rival game with emotions running high. We had a couple injuries early that hurt us but we had some young guys step up for us. It could have went south for us but we found a way there at the end,” Powell added.

Gaines, Jr. finished with 43 carries for 230 yards and three touchdowns while Argo rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries while completing two of seven passes for six yards and two interceptions.

Gaines, Jr. and Collins both had a fumble recovery with Collins scoring a touchdown on his recovery.

“It was a heck of a ball game, my kids played hard and that is all I can ask of them. They gave their all. We just came up a little short. Hats off to EPC,” Marked Tree head coach Waylon Dunn said after the game. “I told the kids I think we can compete for a state championship. We'll go to work Monday and get ready for the playoffs,” Dunn added.

Hodges led Marked Tree with 22 carries for 173 yards and Carter completed 14 of 30 passes for 185 yards and five touchdowns. J.J. Risper caught six passes for 65 yards and three touchdowns while Marshall caught three passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.