Mojave overtakes Chaparral late for playoff victory

John Harper just needed another chance.

Mojave quarterback Xavier DeLong gave his senior wide receiver that opportunity with time running out in the Rattlers’ first-round Class 3A state playoff game against visiting Chaparral on Friday night.

Harper took advantage, picking a pass out of the night sky in the back left corner of the end zone with 58 seconds left to play, giving Mojave a 12-10 victory over the Cowboys and sending the Rattlers into the next round against Virgin Valley.

“John is that kind of kid,” Mojave coach Abraham Gonzalez said. “He’s got a short memory. If he makes a mistake, then he makes up for it.”

The “mistake” came eight plays earlier, on the second play of the fateful, game-winning drive.

Mojave had just given up a go-ahead score to Chaparral with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter. Cowboys quarterback Iopu Tauli’ili had raced around the left end 14 yards into the end zone, staking Chaparral to a 10-6 advantage.

The Cowboys recovered the ensuing kickoff on a squib kick down the left sideline. But Mojave’s defense held, and the Cowboys took just 40 seconds off the clock.

With 2:55 left, the Rattlers (8-2) got the ball back.

“We were ready for this,” Gonzalez said. “The two-minute drill is a staple of what we do every day in practice.”

DeLong completed a short pass on first down, then Harper cut into the middle on a slant pattern that would have staked Mojave to a first down around 15 yards down the field on second down. DeLong delivered a strike, but the ball slipped through Harper’s hands incomplete.

“All I needed was a second chance,” Harper said. “I’m a senior. I can’t go home.”

The Rattlers moved the ball anyway. DeLong completed a 14-yard pass to Tawee Walker for a first down. DeQuincey Mitchell followed with a 15-yard catch that got Mojave to Chaparral’s 30-yard line with just under two minutes left.

Five plays and two offensive penalties later, Mojave found itself with a third-and-goal from the Cowboys 18-yard line.

DeLong dropped back, looked briefly to his right then came back to Harper who had beaten his man and was racing for the goal line. DeLong lofted the ball, Harper went up smoothly and brought in the catch.

“I knew we would get the ball back,” said Harper, who had both of his catches during the final game. “The defense came through in the end.”