Storm Drop Heartbreaker in Season Finale

DURANT, Okla. – It was a tale of two halves as Southeastern stormed to a 24-7 lead in the first quarter, only to allow 29 unanswered points to rival East Central over the final 15:24 of the game en route to a heartbreaking 42-38 loss in the 103^rd meeting of the Great American Classic on Saturday afternoon at Paul Laird Field.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 1-10 to end the season and snaps a five-game winning streak in the series against the Tigers while still holding a 50-47-6 edge in the series all-time.
 
Southeastern piled up 556 yards of total offense, finishing with 301 through the air and a season-best 255 on the ground.
 
Daulton Hatley finished the game with 301 yards through the air on 17-of-34 passing with three touchdowns, but was sacked five times.
 
Braxton Kincade was his favorite target on the day as he finished with 104 yards on six catches with a touchdowns, while Duce Pittman added 80 on three grabs, including the game's longest offensive play of 59 yards for a touchdown.
 
Katrell Blakely added four catches for 63 yards, while Rashod Polk finished with 43 yards and a score on two grabs.
 
Polk also added a touchdown on the ground, but it was Ryan Taylor who turned in a season-high 162 yards on 17 carries and added a touchdown.
 
Polk finished with 65 yards in addition to his score.
 
Defensively, Scooter Baker led the Storm with 15 tackles on the contest and added a fumble recovery which he returned for 30 yards.
 
Josh Mulumba also cracked double-digits with 10 stops and a forced fumble.
 
Brandon Swope and Cameron Tate each logged sacks, while Troy Tubby blocked a PAT.
 
SE took over its first possession on its own one yard line and then marched 99 yards on 10 plays, with Hatley twice connecting for 30-plus yard hook ups before Polk scored from nine yards out to put the Storm up 7-0 at the 10:31 mark.
 
After the defense held again, it only took one play to find paydirt as Hatley would hit Pittman for a 59 yard strike to open up a 14-0 lead.
 
ECU would close the gap with a score on its ensuing possession, but the Storm would tack on a 27 yard Pablo Tarango field goal at the 2:40 mark to stretch the lead to 17-7.
 
With under 10 seconds to play in the quarter, Alexce Marshall forced an Ontario Douglas fumble which was picked up by Baker and returned to the ECU 23 yards line, but a penalty on the Storm would give them the ball backed up to the 38 yards line.
 
One play later Hatley would connect with Polk for a 38 yard strike to take a 24-7 lead into the second quarter.
 
The second quarter was quiet as neither team was able to score and the Storm took their 24-7 lead into the halftime break.
 
Southeastern would be the first to find the endzone in the third quarter as Taylor capped a six-play, 50 yard drive with an 18 yard touchdown run to push the lead to 31-7.
 
The Tigers would answer on their ensuing drive with a seven-play, 75 yard drive capped by a one-yard Douglas run, but a missed two-point try would leave the Storm ahead 31-13.
 
That would extend to 38-13 at the 3:29 mark of the third when Hatley would find Kincade for an eight-yard TD toss to cap an eight-play, 81 yard drive.
 
ECU would score with 24 seconds to go in the third, but Tubby's blocked PAT would keep the SE lead at 38-19.
 
However, the Tigers would score on each of their fourth-quarter drives and just like that Southeastern was trailing 42-38 with 2:33 to play.
 
The Storm proceeded to drive the field and had second-and-goal at the ECU four-yard-line and thought it had regained the lead when Hatley hit Kincade for a touchdown pass, but an offensive pass interference call would back the ball up 15 yards and on the game's final play Hatley would be sacked, ending the Storm rally.