Javonnie Oden returns kickoff 85 yards for game-winning TD

In recent years, the Casa Grande and Montgomery football game has been decided by a paper-thin margin. And the latest edition of the series pitting two of the Empire?s proudest programs was no different.

Friday night?s game? This one was decided by a few inches ? the length of one of senior Ryan Hamilton?s hands.

Hamilton, Casa Grande?s defensive captain, tore through the line to block a third-quarter extra point, a seemingly innocuous play that turned into a game-winner when the Gauchos? Javonnie Oden returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

Oden?s return, which was followed by a successful extra point, gave visiting Casa Grande a 21-20 lead that would stand as the game?s final score after the Gauchos defense limited Montgomery to negative-eight yards on its two fourth-quarter possessions.

?That had to be one of the top five games I?ve ever been a part of in 15 years as a coach,? said Casa Grande?s Trent Herzog of a contest pitting programs who have combined for only two losing seasons since 1999. ?That was a battle between two great teams. Two great defenses. Two great running backs. It was a pleasure just to be a part of it.?

It was also an emotional roller-coaster. But that only figured. The programs, after all, had tied the past two years, playing to a 0-0 deadlock in 2008. In the past seven seasons, Casa Grande (3-0) has a 3-2-2 edge and Montgomery has outscored the Gauchos 102-101.

With that history in mind, it figured that every play Friday could decide the outcome. And Hamilton, who also added 10 tackles from his middle linebacker position, came up with a difference-maker as the home crowd was celebrating Max Heller?s six-yard touchdown pass to Nick Swain. The score had given the Vikings (1-2) a 20-14 lead with 1:20 left in the third quarter.

?I?d gotten through on another extra point, but I didn?t go hard enough,? Hamilton said. ?That time I got through and I just gave it everything I had.?

The same could be said for Oden. Eleven seconds after Hamilton?s block, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound speedster was in the end zone celebrating an 85-yard scoring sprint in which he blazed untouched through Montgomery?s coverage unit.

?I got it and just ran as hard as I could,? Oden said. ?I just kept going and going until I hit that line.?

The only problem with Oden?s quick strike was that it sent Casa Grande?s defense back on the field.

The Vikings, who boasted a physical running game headlined by junior Alex Cuidad-Real (21 carries, 81 yards) and a line averaging 272 pounds, ran 24 of the first 37 offensive plays in the second half.

But the tiring Gauchos? defense didn?t wilt. And it also benefited from a costly Montgomery mistake. The Vikings were driving and had a 1st-and-10 at Casa Grande?s 45-yard line early in the fourth quarter when a shotgun snap sailed wildly over Heller?s head, a miscue that resulted in a 21-yard loss and killed the drive. The Vikings got the ball back at their own 41 with 7:16 left, but the drive was snuffed out by linebacker Connor Waggoner?s 17-yard sack on 3rd-and-4 from Casa Grande?s 39.

Waggoner was one of a host of defensive stars. Junior defensive back Makana Garrigan had 10 tackles and an interception while defensive ends Brayan Araiza and Guilermo Arguelles each had two sacks.

?We get tired, but we keep going,? Waggoner said. ?We know that we have to play with heart to win. We don?t quit. Ever.?

Casa Grande got the ball back with four minutes and ran out the clock with eight straight runs to senior running back Kahlil Keys (23 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs). Keys had 52 yards on the final drive, including a 17-yard scamper on 4th-and-2 to officially seal the game with 11 seconds left.

With that, Casa Grande began to celebrate. And Montgomery was left to think about what it could have done differently to win a game that, naturally, was decided by the smallest of margins.

?We made too many damn mistakes,? Montgomery coach Jason Franci said. ?You can?t have an extra-point blocked. You can?t have a guy return a kickoff for a touchdown. You can?t snap the ball over the quarterback?s head. Just too many damn mistakes.?

For more coverage, please visiti Eric Branch?s blog at prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.