Nightmare finish: Lancaster loses lead late, suffers heartbreaking loss against Reynoldsburg

LANCASTER—There is a fine line between winning and losing, and the Lancaster football team found that out the hard way.

The Golden Gales once again had every opportunity to win Friday night against visiting Reynoldsburg. Lancaster overcame three deficits, with the last coming with only 1:49 remaining.

Trailing 20-16, Lancaster went on an impressive 63-yard scoring drive that was capped by senior fullback Devin Wilson, who scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Gales 23-20 lead.

However, T.J. Green returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for the go-ahead touchdown that stunned the Gales in a heartbreaking 26-23 Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division loss at Fulton Field.

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Missed opportunities will haunt the Gales

The Gales had many chances to score more points but were unable to cash in when they needed it the most.

Junior quarterback Brody Burke scored on a 37-yard run in the first quarter but it was called back because of a holding penalty. The drive would eventually stall when the Gales failed to convert a first down at the Raiders’ 36-yard line.

Thanks to a fumble recovery from Hunter Metz at the Raiders’ 1-yard line, Burke scored on a 1-yard run on the next play to give the Gales a 7-0 edge. The Raiders answered by scoring on an 89-yard pass play where the Lancaster defensive back was there for an interception, but he tipped it and it went right into the hands of the Raider receiver, who turned it into a score.

Lancaster looked as if it was going in for another score late in the second quarter, but with the ball at the Raiders’ 3-yard line, Lancaster fumbled, and the Raiders returned it 98 yards for a touchdown and a 13-7 lead with 2:03 left in the first half.

The Gales cut the margin to 13-10 at halftime when Ethan Graham, who kicked three field goals in the game, connected on a 47-yard field goal – in what is believed to be a school record – with only 58 seconds remaining in the half.

Graham tied it at 13-13 late in the third quarter with a 22-yard field goal, and his 24-yard field goal with 9:44 remaining gave the Gales the lead at 16-13. On both field goals, the Gales had the ball 7 and -6-yard lines but were unable to get a first down and had to settle for field goals.

Reynoldsburg retook the lead on a screen that was turned into a 24-yard touchdown pass with 6:45 left.

By the numbers

Reynoldsburg only had one scoring drive the entire game. The Raiders fumbled the ball three times and had 14 penalties for 118 yards, but the Gales were unable to take advantage of all those miscues.

The Raiders finished with 320 total yards, including 234 through the air, with 89 coming in one play. Lancaster had 251 total yards. Burke completed five passes for 96 yards and two interceptions, and he rushed for a season-high 55 yards on 12 carries. Jahmeir Gordon finished with 65 yards on 18 carries. Defensively, Jackson Reynolds and Kelton Fisher recovered two of the three fumbles.

Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @twil2323.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Nightmare finish: Lancaster loses lead late, suffers heartbreaking loss against Reynoldsburg