By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Cardinal Austin Breeland leaps for extra yards in the first quarter. Brighton’s Blue Currie picks up tough yards against Millington.
Multiple lead changes, standout players making plays, big hits, comebacks and an overtime finish between area rivals is the recipe for an instant classic.
The latest installment of the Brighton Cardinals vs. Millington Trojans was an epic with the visiting Trojans pulling out a 34-28 overtime victory in the Brighton Football Stadium. The winning score came on the Trojans’ first play in overtime from the 10-yard line when senior athlete Lakeron Garcia scored on a run.
The trip to the end zone was his fifth of the night. Garcia helped the Trojans take a 12-0 lead in the first quarter with two touchdowns, with the first a 9-yard scamper. That touchdown was set up by a Brighton fumble recovered by CJ Harris.
Millington (1-1) went up 12-0 when Garcia snatched down a screen pass from quarterback Eldon Tyms for a 29-yard score.
The second quarter belonged to the Cardinals. The combination of Colton Hathcock to Kolton Childress set up a Blue Currie 1-yard touchdown to make the score 12-7.
Brighton (1-1) took the lead when the Trojans fumbled setting up another Currie touchdown run. Behind 14-12, the Trojans drove down the field setting up a Garcia 4-yard run across the goal line. He added the two-point conversion to give Millington a 20-14 lead with 40 second left in the half.
But that lead lasted for 14 seconds. Cardinal speedster Nick Easley field the kickoff inside the 10-yard line and broke a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone and giving Brighton a 21-20 halftime lead.
Currie
Brighton’s Charles Mosley demanded attention all night on the line. Trojan CJ Harris fights for extra yardage after scooping up a fumble. Millington’s Lakeron Garcia breaks free after receiving a screen pass late in the game for his fourth of five touchdowns.
‘s third touchdown of the night in the third quarter made the score 28-20. That was the tally as the fourth quarter started. A safety on a bad snap in the end zone helped the Trojans pull to within 28-22.
Millington had one more drive in regulation to try to win the game with 2 minutes and 24 seconds remaining. Tyms drove the Trojans down the field including a big reception from receiver Demarius Curry. With 55 seconds left on the clock Garcia found pay dirt again taking another screen pass through the Brighton defense.
The extra point was no-good leaving the score tied at 28-28. In overtime, the Millington defense forces a fumble setting the table for Garcia’s fifth touchdown to win the game.
