Shadle Park edges North Central to keep postseason hopes alive

Shadle Park isn’t ready to say goodbye to postseason football.

The Highlanders held off North Central 28-26 Friday night at Albi Stadium, winning only their second game of the season but moving just one victory from a spot in the 3A play-in round.

That would have to come against a Mt. Spokane team that’s 7-1 after a 44-26 win over Rogers in the early game at Albi, but that’s for later. For now, the Highlanders can savor another win over their crosstown rivals.

In a see-saw game at chilly Albi Stadium, the Highlanders (2-6) fell behind early, took a two-touchdown lead early in the fourth quarter and survived a late NC rally that almost took the game to overtime.

Trailing 28-14 and seemingly out of it, the Indians (1-7) closed to within one score on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Riley Smith to Layton Hahn with 6:03 left in the game.

Taking over on their 23-yard-line, the Highlanders didn’t try to run out the clock. Instead, quarterback Carson Doyle threw a long interception to Kaleb Moses at midfield. After an exchange of punts, the Indians drove 69 yards in barely a minute, setting up first and goal at the 1-yard line.

After two failed plays, NC quarterback Riley Smith eluded two would-be tacklers and fired a TD pass to a wide-open Layton Hahn as time expired.

Smith rolled to his left again on the game-deciding two-point conversion try, but his pass was batted down by Shadle defensive lineman Ryan Johnson.

Despite falling to 1-7, North Central still has a glimmer of hope of reaching the postseason. If the Indians can beat Rogers next week and Shadle falls to Mt. Spokane, then NC, Rogers and Shadle would play a Kansas tiebreaker the following week for a state play-in berth.

NC struck first on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Hahn, but Shadle rallied with two scores before halftime.

Xavier Wicks capped a long Shadle drive with a 4-yard run, and the Highlanders took a 14-7 lead in Stephan Babcock’s 1-yard run shortly before halftime. Khanian Charlton tied it for NC with a 1-yard run early in the second half.

Shadle got some breathing room with two quick scores. Doyle hit Justin Solt for a 27-yard score, then Babcock got his second TD of the night on a 1-yard plunge to make It 28-14.