Kessler, Golden Hawks stun Buchanan
| Friday, Nov 27 2009 11:44 PM
Last Updated Friday, Nov 27 2009 11:46 PM
Centennial High football coach Bryan Nixon pulled the perfect motivation card.
Before the eighth-seeded Golden Hawks' Central Section Division I quarterfinal against top-seeded Buchanan, Nixon told his college-prospect quarterback that they were about to see which No. 7-wearing signal caller was the best in an individual duel between Cody Kessler and Buchanan's Lance Orender.
Kessler was the one flashing the million-dollar smile after the final horn sounded Friday night.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound Kessler directed a game-winning drive in the final 1:12 to lead Centennial to a 26-24 upset of the previously undefeated Bears at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Hawks advance to face No. 5 Liberty, a 27-21 winner in double overtime against No. 4 Central.
"He said 'we're about to see who the best No. 7 is,' Then he walked away," said Kessler, who completed 23 of 35 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. "That hit me. I had to prove it tonight."
Taking possession of the ball at the Centennial 37-yard line with 1:12 remaining in the game, Kessler drove the Hawks 39 yards in eight plays to set up the winning field goal, a 40-yarder by Christian Williams with 1 second left on the clock.
After getting sacked on first down, Kessler calmly proceeded to complete passes of 11, 7 and 12 yard to get into Buchanan territory. He fired three straight incompletions before delivering a strike to Tim Martinez for 14 yards on fourth-and-10 with 12 seconds to go.
"I knew we were going to get one more shot at it," said Kessler, who missed four midseason games with an ankle injury. "I wanted the ball in my hands."
Kessler's pass to Martinez took the ball down to the 24 with 6 seconds left and after a timeout Nixon sent out Williams, who had missed a 23-yarder on the game's opening possession. Kicking from the middle of the field, Williams' boot made it over the crossbar with a yard or two to spare.
"I just focused on getting my steps down and focusing on my follow-through," Williams said. "It felt good to redeem myself and come through."
Buchanan (10-1) had taken a 24-23 lead with 9:45 left in the fourth quarter when Kenny Castle stepped in front of a Kessler pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown.
The Bears began to dig out of a 23-10 deficit with 2:36 to go in the third quarter on Alex Wood's 1-yard touchdown run.
Buchanan put itself in position to win when Austin Kemp broke up a Kessler pass on fourth down with 2:17 to play. But the Bears couldn't milk the remaining clock as an Orender pass on third-and-8 sailed long over a wide-open Kyle Novak on a play that would have all but sealed the outcome.
"We just didn't execute in the first half and made too many mistakes. We took too long to find our rhythm," Kemp said. "Our defense has played great all year. For it to end like that is not a good feeling."
The reporter can be reached at nickg@fresnobee.com or (559) 622-2407.
