Northeast loses nailbiter to Beech 44-43 in Class 5A quarterfinals

By James D. Horne | November 17, 2012 |

HENDERSONVILLE — It came down to which Jalen had the ball in their hands last.

Unfortunately for Northeast, it was Beech junior running back Jalen Hurd who did and his two-point conversion run with 51 seconds left lifted the Buccaneers to a 44-43 Class 5A Quarterfinal win Friday night over the Eagles.

That doesn’t mean Northeast (9-4) didn’t get the ball last and somehow got the ball down to Beech’s 30 with one second left and ultimately lost on a Hail Mary Pass.

It’s just that the final few passes were thrown by Northeast back up quarterback Marquez McCalpin and not senior and Tennessee signee Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who injured his shoulder on the drive and had to move to wide receiver.

Neither Jalen disappointed.

Reeves-Maybin ended up rushing for 337 yards on 30 tries with five touchdowns.

Hurd, who’s top three is down to Florida, Georgia and Ohio State, had 27 attempts for 175 yards with two scores and the game-winning two-point run.

Hurd got the scoring going with a 12 yard touchdown run on 4th & 1 and added the 2pt run with 5:40 left in 1Q that made it 8-0 Beech (13-0).

Reeves-Maybin answered with a TD run of 67 yard withs 4:51 left in 1Q and cut Beech’s lead to 8-7 after the PAT kick

Hurd scored form two yards out with 11:16 left in 2Q and put Beech up 15- 7 after the extra point kick.

Reeves-Maybin came back with a 47-yard scoring sprint and Northeast converted the 2-pt run and tied it at 15-all with 9:45 to go before halftime.

But Beech’s Dorian Carter plowed in from  the two with 8:20 left in the second and went up 22-15 after the kick.

Reeves-Maybin’s 4-yard plunge and the subsequent kick tied the game at 22-all with 48 seconds left before halftime.

Northeast went up 29-22 with 8:50 left in third and Beech answered with an 80-yd kick return for a score, but the PAT failed and kept Northeast ahead 29-28 with 8:31 left in the third.

Reeves-Maybin scored from the nine with 5:50 left in the third than made it 36-28 after the PAT.

But Beech tied at 36 with 1:37 left in the third with a TD a 2pt run.

Reeves-Maybin scored his fifth TD from 12 yards that put Northeast up 43-36 with 5:10 to play.

But Beech tied it  on a 1-yd touchdown run and won it on Hurd’s 2-pt conversion.

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