LINDALE — The Lindale Eagles and quarterback Montana Meador erased two fourth-quarter deficits to defeat Kaufman, 42-39, in season opener for both teams on Friday at Eagle Stadium.
Meador, who passed for 309 yards and two touchdown passes and rushed for 141 yards and two TDs, scored the game-winner with 39.1 seconds left in the contest. Mitchell Winters' PAT gave the Eagles a three-point win.
The Lions appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown in the closing seconds, but quarterback Trey Collier was past the line of scrimmage. The TD was called back and Lindale stopped Kaufman on the next two players.
The two teams combined for 40 fourth-quarter points in the back-and-forth final period.
Marquithias Johnson started the fourth quarter barrage with a 2-yard touchdown to put the Lions up 26-21 with 11:13 to play.
Meador then found an open Joe Noble for 42-yard scoring toss to put the Eagles back ahead 27-26 just under the nine minute mark. The try for two failed.
Kaufman bounced back on Jefferson Fritz's 5-yard run just 24 seconds later to push ahead 32-27.
The Eagles drove the ball and scored with 4:50 left in the fourth period with Meador scoring on a 10-yard jaunt to put the Eagles ahead 35-32.
The Lions were not through as backup quarterback Collier tossed a 63-yard touchdown to Casey Smith on a fourth-and-17 with 2:01 to play to give Kaufman a 39-35 advantage after Abraham Garcia's extra point.
Lindale's game-winning started at their own 32-yard line with 1:52 to play. Meador passed and ran the Eagles down the field completing passes to Noble (2), Colton Brown and Cameron Sir Louis to set the Eagles up at the Lion 15-yard line. The Eagle QB went back to pass and pumped the ball, but held on and scrambled into the end zone for the game-winner.
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Lindale 42, Kaufman 39
At Eagle Stadium, Lindale
Kaufman 7 7 6 19 — 39
Lindale 7 7 7 21 — 42
First Quarter
L—Joe Noble 10 pass from Montana Meador (Mitchell Winters kick), 5:23.
K—Trey Collier 46 pass from Jefferson Fritz (Abraham Garcia kick), 3:14.
Second Quarter
L—Meador 7 run (Winters kick), 11:55.
K—Devyn Morris 3 run (Garcia kick), 8:43.
Third Quarter
L—Bryan Edwards recovered fumble in end zone (Winters kick), 7:53.
K—Fritz 63 run (kick failed), 7:35.
Fourth Quarter
K—Marquithias Johnson 2 run (pass failed), 11:13.
L—Noble 42 pass from Meador (pass failed), 8:53.
K—Fritz 5 run (pass failed), 8:29.
L—Meador 10 run (Meador to Colton Brown pass), 4:50.
K—Casey Smith 63 pass from Collier (Garcia kick), 2:01.
L—Meador 15 run (Winters kick), 39.1.
K L
First Downs 16 23
Rushes-Yards 31-224 43-241
Passing Yards 216 309
Comp.-Att.-Int. 9-17-1 19-29-1
Punts-Avg. 4-43.0 3-32.6
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 3-1
Penalties-Yards 9-80 12-65
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Kaufman, Dre Fox 3-5, Marquithias Johnson 7-41, Jefferson Fritz 14-130, Devyn Morris 5-46, Trey Collier 2-2. Lindale, Cameron Jenkins 21-105, Emmanuel Brewer 1-1, Montana Meador 20-141.
PASSING—Kaufman, Fritz 7-12-1 119, Collier 2-5-0 97. Lindale, Meador 19-29-1 309.
RECEIVING—Kaufman, Casey Smith 4-88, Collier 4-94, Fritz 1-34. Lindale, Joe Noble 11-199, David Franke 1-18, Cooper Azbell 1-15, Colton Brown 2-8, Cameron Sir Louis 4-69.