WOODLAND, Ala. – Fayetteville’s playoff hopes came down to one final play Friday night, Oct. 23, at Sewell Field in Woodland.
After the Wolves erased a 17-point deficit and built an eight-point lead, Woodland scored with a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion. The Bobcats handed the ball to running back Garrett Hendrix, who looked to pass, but Fayetteville stopped the play and held on for a 55-53 victory.
The win clinched the Wolves’ second consecutive playoff berth, marking the first time in school history Fayetteville has reached the postseason in back-to-back seasons. It also secured the region’s No. 4 seed and ended Woodland’s playoff bid.
The Bobcats took control early behind Hendrix, a senior running back, and jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Ty Stone put Fayetteville on the board with a touchdown run late in the first quarter.
Woodland’s ground game continued to test the Wolves in the second quarter. Carter Goins and Victor Mendoza helped Fayetteville keep pace, connecting for Mendoza’s first touchdown catch of his senior season before halftime.
The Bobcats stretched their lead to 34-17 in the third quarter before Fayetteville began its comeback.
Presley Duke gave the Wolves a spark on the ensuing kickoff, returning it to the Woodland 5-yard line. Stone scored on the next play.
Mendoza came up big on defense, intercepting a pass and returning it to the Woodland 13. The Bobcats picked off Goins on the next snap, and Fayetteville’s defense forced a punt to get the ball back.
Goins found Braden Deloach for a touchdown, and head coach John Limbaugh kept the pressure on with an onside kick. The Wolves recovered, and Goins connected with Eli Burns for a score. A two-point conversion tied the game at 34.
Fayetteville’s defense forced another punt, giving Goins and Burns a chance to put the Wolves in front. They connected for a second touchdown, and the extra point made it 41-34.
Woodland answered with a touchdown. A missed extra point kept Fayetteville ahead by one. After the Bobcats forced a punt, Hendrix scored to give Woodland a 47-41 lead.
Stone answered with another touchdown run, and Goins converted the two-point attempt to put Fayetteville back in front, 49-47.
A defensive stop on fourth down returned the ball to the Wolves, and Stone found the end zone again to extend the lead to 55-47. Woodland scored on its final drive, setting up the decisive two-point attempt.
The Wolves travel to Oxford this Friday to face Hope Christian Academy in the regular-season finale. Fayetteville will open the playoffs on the road against undefeated Addison on Friday, Nov. 6.
