Copley's offense came up with its own version of "the drive" and "the immaculate reception" in the closing minutes of a 23-13 come-from-behind victory over Green Friday night. The drive started at the Indians' 4-yard line with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter and Green ahead, 13-10, in a wild Suburban League football game at InfoCision Field at Copley...
Copley's offense came up with its own version of "the drive" and "the immaculate reception" in the closing minutes of a 23-13 come-from-behind victory over Green Friday night.
The drive started at the Indians' 4-yard line with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter and Green ahead, 13-10, in a wild Suburban League football game at InfoCision Field at Copley Stadium.
The reception came on a fourth down-and-6 play at the Green 37.
Quarterback Lou Gigliotti zipped a pass toward C.J. Chatman, who was slanting over the middle. A Green defender was in position to intercept, but the ball slipped through his fingers to Chatman for a first down.
"You've got to get lucky sometimes and we did on that particular play," Copley coach Ron Viscount said.
It was the second fourth-down conversion in the 16-play drive. Gigliotti capped the drive with a throw to Shawn Taylor in the back-right corner of the end zone. Taylor wrestled the ball away from a defender for the go-ahead score with 30 seconds left.
"The thing is we never quit," Gigliotti said. "Everybody stepped up when we needed them. It was crazy. I don't know how we did it but I guess anything is possible."
Copley is 8-0, 5-0 in the league. Green slipped to 4-4, 4-1.
"The kids kept believing and the kids kept fighting and the kids kept playing, " Viscount said. "We keep telling the kids you have to play for 48 minutes and you've got a chance. We had to play the full 48 minutes tonight."
Copley got a final touchdown when Alexander Garrett intercepted Darryl Corrin's pass on fourth down and returned it 56 yards for a score as time expired.
Much of the first half resembled a soccer game -- no scoring and all the play between the 30-yard lines.
Then on fourth down-and-3 near midfield, Green punter Alex Ciocca took a center snap, faked the punt and darted toward the right sideline. Copley's Lawrence Harris was not fooled. Harris stopped Ciocca after a 1-yard gain, giving the Indians the ball and good field position.
Copley scored on the next play. Chatman grabbed Gigliotti's pass for a 53-yard touchdown with 4:58 left in the second quarter.
On the second play of the next drive, Corrin, the backup Green quarterback, hit Luke Davies for a 73-yard touchdown. Starter Jon Cundiff suffered a knee injury during Green's first possession.