For the second week in a row, the Minden Crimson Tide needed a big stop by the defense late in the game to preserve a victory.
And for the second week in a row, the defense came through.
Minden batted down a pass on fourth-and-goal from the 7 with six seconds left against Homer Friday night at W.W. Williams Jr. Stadium. That gave the Tide a 29-22 victory and a 2-0 record. Homer fell to 0-2.
“Yeah, the defense, there were a couple of occasions of where they rose up and were able to stop a very, very talented, very athletic offense for Homer,” Minden Head Coach Spencer Heard said. “I was proud of the defense and their effort being able to do that.”
Minden had a chance to put the game away midway through the fourth quarter. After rolling down the field with little resistance, the Tide failed to score after having a first-and-goal at the 3.
“We should have ended the game right there,” Heard said. “So that was disappointing, but I like said, the defense rose up in the end and found a way to get to it done.”
Homer marched 91 yards in nine plays to a first-and-goal at the 6 with just less than 40 seconds to play.
The Pelicans reached the 3 on two runs. The Tide then made a huge play, tackling the running back for a 3-yard loss. Minden then batted down a pass just inside the end zone with 6 seconds left.
Lucas Owens Jr. scored the game’s first touchdown in a 12-yard run capping a 79-yard drive with 4:58 left in the first quarter. Jaden Johnson scored touchdowns on runs of 17 yards late in the first quarter and 75 early in the second to give Minden a 20-7 lead.
Homer cut the deficit to six on a 7-yard pass from Kevin Williams Jr. to Antonio Casey with 57 seconds left in the half.
Johnson scored his third touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run midway through the third quarter. Kaiden King’s two-point conversion pass to Jonathan Cooksey gave Minden a 29-14 lead.
Homer got within seven on a 44-yard TD pass from Williams to Casey early in the fourth quarter.
Minden rolled up 335 yards rushing, per stats kept for the KBEF-FM radio and Facebook broadcast.
Owens led the Tide with 138 yards on 18 carries. Johnson had 125 on six. Jardon Carey had 60 on seven.
“I thought we ran the ball well.” Heard said. “They’ve got lot of guys that go both ways and we knew we were going to have to run the ball.”
Minden has a chance to go 3-0 for the second time in the last three years when they host West Ouachita Friday. The Chiefs (0-2) lost to Northwood 28-22 Friday night.