With 1.1 seconds left on the clock, the home team is up by three points, and the opponent is knocking at the goal line. Now this is what football is all about. Could there be a more suspenseful way to end a Homecoming Game? Maybe not, but the team’s first playoff game is pretty close.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats dug themselves into a hole early, giving up two touchdowns to the Westchester Comets at Homecoming. But with the help from a roaring crowd, the Cats managed to get their heads together and played two and a half quarters of excellent football on offense and defense.

With a little more than four minutes left in the first quarter, senior Enous O’Neal scored the Cats’ first touchdown.

After two huge defensive stops in the redzone by junior Jason Robinson and sophomore Titus Young, Robinson hooked up with junior Greg Walker for a 70-yard touchdown pitch and run down the middle of the field.

The Wildcats continued to show off their prowess when an interception by junior Devyn Clayborn set up a touchdown throw from Robinson to senior Terrell Patterson. Clayborn recovered a fumble in the third quarter that led to a- spectacular jump-ball catch from Walker on the ensuing drive.

Patterson had one of his best games of the season. He later scored on a 60-yard reverse, then caught a pass from Robinson in the corner of the endzone while being double covered.

But the Cats could not hold their lead. The Comets scored two more touchdowns, and mishandled a punt, which gave them the ball deep in Wildcat territory as the team held on desperately to its 27-30 lead. Two penalties on the Wildcat defense gave the Comets the ball on the 1-yard line where they would take one last shot into the endzone for the win.

The last play was a heart stopper—the Comet QB dropped back, glanced to the left corner of the endzone where his receiver had gotten open, and dropped a fade pass right into the receiver’s hands. The crowd held its breath as it watched the ball slip through the receiver’s hand and fall safely to the turf. Players and fans alike rejoiced as the Wildcats secured a 27-30 win.

“We tried to give the game away,” Assistant Coach Anthony Johnson remarked. Robinson seconded the idea: “We did everything but put it on ebay.”

The Wildcats faced the Washington Generals in the first round of the Invitational Playoffs, where they were placed as the eighth seed. Once again, the Cats dug themselves a hole early in the game after giving up two touchdowns to the Generals. O’Neal put the Wildcats on the board with a 15-yard touchdown, making the score 12-7 at halftime.

The score remained stagnant until the fourth quarter when a Generals’ punt gave the Wildcats offense the ball at their own 1-yard line. But the Cats were unstoppable, playing with ferocious fervor as they plowed their way out to their own redzone. Robinson made several long runs out of QB sneaks to get the team to midfield. The Cats continued to convert critical third downs as they drove down to the Generals redzone.

With 1:20 seconds left in the game, the Cats made a play that defined the entire game. Robinson rolled to his left, looked left and rocketed a pass over the defenders hands and into the outstretched arms of Walker for the game winning touchdown.

Thanks to the steady contribution and persistance from great athletes like O’Neal, Patterson, Robinson, and Walker, the Wildcats have reached the second round of the playoffs with hopes high to win the prized gold.