RIVIERA BEACH – All it took was a little less than three minutes.
For the Fort Pierce Westwood-Inlet Grove game that took place last night (Sept. 8), the action started at the 2:54 mark of the fourth quarter.
The scoring began with Inlet Grove, as junior defensive Temarion Foster stepped in front of a Fort Pierce Westwood receiver and picked off a pass that was returned for a touchdown.
Foster’s pick-six sent the Inlet Grove fans into a frenzy, even after the special teams connected on an extra point to take a 7-0 lead over Fort Pierce Westwood.
But just when one would think that Inlet Grove has potentially secured its first win of the season, we were instantly reminded of the score clock.
There was still 2:54 left in this one.
The next offensive possession for Fort Pierce Westwood would go on to be a huge one for both teams.
Here is how it went down.
It took exactly 32 seconds for Fort Pierce Westwood running back Kevin Ryals to break off a few runs, including a 3-yard touchdown on the ground that cut the Inlet Grove lead to 7-6.
But for Westwood, a two-point conversion attempt failed as a couple of Inlet Grove defenders stopped the play almost immediately after the ball was snapped.
With 2:22 left, Inlet Grove clung to a 7-6 lead over Fort Pierce Westwood.
On the next Inlet Grove possession, not much progress was made for the offense. This resulted in a punt to Westwood at the 1:53 mark.
As Westwood started on its own 40-yard line, senior athlete Braylon Vincent juked some Inlet Grove defenders for a 10-yard gain to the 50.
Just two plays later, we got the game’s best play.
A special connection downfield between Westwood sophomore athlete Joseph Weathers and junior wide receiver Colton Foster happened at the 1:14 mark. This was a touchdown pass right in the end zone that changed the game for both teams.
It resulted in a 12-7 lead in favor of Fort Pierce Westwood.
After Inlet Grove stopped another two-point conversion attempt by Fort Pierce Westwood, it had one last chance to score and win the game.
The Hurricanes marched down the field with a series of runs and passes. But with 13.2 seconds left, Panthers senior defensive back Jaylyn Monds saw the ball thrown his way and caught the game-winning interception to seal the deal for his team.
From that point on, Fort Pierce Westwood (3-0; No. 3-ranked team on the Treasure Coast) made sure to celebrate this win in style.
And with that, it was a golden opportunity which was missed for Inlet Grove (0-3).
