by SPEARFISH, S.D. – After falling behind 22-0, the Black Hills State University football team made a comeback to take a 31-22 lead in the fourth quarter but fell in heart-breaking fashion 39-38 to Chadron State College Saturday in Lyle Hare Stadium.
The heartbreaker came just after the Eagles (4-4, 3-3 RMAC) took the 39-38 lead and the Yellow Jackets (0-8, 0-6 RMAC) marching down the field in the two-minute drill. Ryan Hommel had just completed an 11-yard pass to Jerome Krysl for a first down at the BHSU 36-yard line. On the next play, Hommel’s pass bounced off the pads of Bradley Adamson and intercepted by Dylan Furrier at the Yellow Jacket 41-yard line to seal the game for CSC.
After falling being 22-0, the Yellow Jackets took control of the game scoring 31 unanswered points led by three Phydell Paris touchdown runs. Paris first capped a six-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard run untouched into the end zone. The run was set up when Hommel hit Eriq Swiftwater (Oglala-Lakota) for a 46-yard reception.
The Yellow Jackets then forced a three-and-out from CSC and took advantage of a botched snap on the punt for great field position, taking over at the Eagles 11-yard line. Four plays later, Paris again scampered into the end zone as the Yellow Jackets pulled within eight points at 22-14.
On the opening possession of the second half, the Yellow Jackets completed a nine-play, 56-yard drive when Trey Fleming, making his debut as the Yellow Jackets placekicker, knocked in a 23-yard field goal for the 22-17 deficit.
Again forcing an Eagles three-and-out, Paris capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive for the first Green and Gold lead of the day at 24-22. Paris ran in from seven yards out for the touchdown which was aided by a 27-yard rush from Hommel.
Just 31 seconds into the fourth quarter, Black Hills State struck again when Hommel found Adamson for a four-yard touchdown reception, completing a six-play, 46 yard drive and a 31-22 lead. Earlier in the drive, Hommel hit Adamson for a 36-yard connection to set the Yellow Jackets up.
On the ensuing Chadron State possession, the eagles ran six plays for 23 yards to set Alex Ferdinand up for a 34-yard field goal as the Eagles made the score 31-25 with 12:55 remaining in the game.
After Ferdinand sent the kickoff into the end zone, the Yellow Jackets used four plays to find the end zone one more time. Paris rushed twice for four yards before Hommel hit Swiftwater for a 52-yard gain to the CSC 19-yard line. On the very next play, Hommel took off from the pocket and dove into the end zone for the 38-25 lead with 11:12 remaining.
With 4:28 on the clock, the Chadron State passing game began to click as Matt Vinson completed five passes before hitting the end zone with Zac Bargen for the seven-yard touchdown and a 38-32 score.
The Yellow Jackets then couldn’t find much offensively on the ensuing possession and punted to the Eagles with 3:35 remaining. Vinson again led the Eagles charge, ending with a 20-yard pass to Matt Reader to knot the game at 38-all. Ferdinand hit the extra-point with 1:54 remaining to give CSC the lead at 39-38.
That set up the Yellow Jackets for a chance to win the game but Hommel’s pass was intercepted and the Eagles ran out the clock in the 39-38 victory.
The true-freshman Hommel threw for a season-best 307 yards on 24-of-44 passing and the touchdown to Adamson. He also ran for 99 yards on nine carries.
Paris notched his four 100-yard game of the season with 116 yards and three touchdowns. He has now has a career-best 745 yards on the season, eclipsing the Yellow Jackets NCAA-era best 677 yards from last year.
Adamson ended the day with eight receptions for 109 yards while Swiftwater had three receptions for 103 yards, a 34.3 yards per catch average.
Fleming was 5-of-5 for extra points and 1-of-1 on his only field goal attempt in his debut as the Yellow Jackets kicker.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets were led by Travis Grove with 11 tackles, nine solo, and two pass breakups. Thayer Sauter had 10 tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss.
Vinson completed 18-of-35 passes for 181 yards for the Eagles while Derek Jackson rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries.
The Yellow Jackets turned out a season-best 532 yards of total offense while holding the Eagles to 434 yards. Black Hills State also had a season-best in time of possession with 33:21.
Black Hills State, who closes the season with three out of their last four games at home, hosts defending NCAA Division II National Champion Colorado State-Pueblo at noon on Saturday.
