Olive Branch survives for Mississippi 6A title over Petal

By Staff Report Dec 2, 2011, 8:21pm

Conquistadors win when Petal field goal attempt misses.

No. 23 Olive Branch (Miss.) is the Mississippi 6A football champion this year. It took a comeback, a gutsy 2-point conversion and a missed field goal in the last minute to set the 35-34 victory in stone.

QwiXcore from the game

Todd Mays, Olive Branch
Todd Mays, Olive Branch
FIle photo by Chris Evans
The Conquistadors secured the state title after a last-minute field goal attempt for Petal (Miss.) missed from about 43 yards out. That came after Olive Branch took the lead for the first time since Jaylen Miller's touchdown with 8 minutes left in the first quarter, utilizing a Todd Mays touchdown with 1:09 left. That touchdown made it 34-33 Petal, and instead of going for the tie with the extra point, Olive Branch went for 2 and converted with a run from Mays.

After going up 7-0 early on, Olive Branch allowed Petal to score 20 unanswered points and that 20-7 lead stood into the third quarter until Mays scored from 12 yards out.

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Petal's Anthony Alford connected with Jamarcus Revies for an 82-yard scoring pass to get Petal back on the board, then  Mays scored yet again, this time from 5 yards out, to make it 27-21 Petal entering the fourth quarter.

Mays scored from 1 yard out and the extra point didn't go through to make it 27-all with about 10 minutes left. With about 3 minutes left, Alford ran in from 7 yards out to put Petal back on top 34-27, setting the stage for the final minutes.

Mays scored four TDs and Alford passed for three and ran for two.