When a team finds itself down two touchdowns at halftime with nothing clicking, it takes real grit to flip the script. Cherryvale found that resolve on Friday night, digging out of a 14-point hole to shock Galena 22-14 and open district play with a statement victory.
Quarterback Remington John capped the comeback with an eight-yard touchdown scramble with just 23 seconds remaining, sending the home sideline into a frenzy and sealing a dramatic second-half turnaround.
Bulldogs Capitalize on Fourth Downs in the First Half
The opening two quarters belonged almost entirely to Galena. Cherryvale struggled to build offensive rhythm early, stalling out on drives and failing to cash in when reaching the red zone.
The Bulldogs made the Chargers pay by delivering in high-pressure situations. Galena quarterback Suade Dixon kept drives alive through the air, connecting with receiver Isiah Farfan for two fourth-down touchdown passes.
The first came with 2:49 remaining in the opening quarter on a 14-yard strike to the left corner. Farfan and Dixon struck again with just eight seconds left before halftime, hooking up on a 21-yard score. Trace Hutchison booted both extra points, sending the Bulldogs into the locker room with a commanding 14-0 lead.
Defense Stands Tall, Offense Finds its Rhythm
Things could have gone from bad to worse for Cherryvale right out of the break. Galena caught the Chargers off guard with a surprise onside kick to start the third quarter, recovering the ball and immediately taking over in plus territory.
Instead of letting the game slip away, the Charger defense bowed its neck. Cherryvale turned away the Bulldogs, flipped field position, and gave the offense the spark it desperately needed.
Late in the third quarter, Cherryvale finally cracked the scoring column. Running back Wyatt Duncan punched it into the end zone on a three-yard run to the left with 2:50 on the clock, cutting the deficit to 14-6.
Early in the fourth, Duncan went right back to work. Plunging across the goal line from one yard out with 11:34 left in regulation, Duncan brought the Chargers within two. Cherryvale then dialed up a two-point conversion pass from John to Brock Carrico, knotting the score at 14-14.
John’s Late Heroics Seal the District Win
With the game tied down the stretch, both defenses traded stops in a tense fourth-quarter battle. Cherryvale eventually pieced together the game-winning drive in the final minutes.
Faced with a crucial red-zone snap with the clock ticking down, John tucked the ball and scrambled to his right, slicing through the Galena defense for an eight-yard touchdown with just 23 seconds on the clock. John followed with a two-point conversion pass to Braxton Whittley, extending the lead to an eight-point margin at 22-14.
A final desperation attempt from Galena fell short, locking down the comeback victory for the Chargers.
“Hats off to our kids for finding a way to come back down 14,” the Cherryvale coaching staff said after the game. “We were very flat in the first half and allowed them to score on fourth down twice. We had a hard time sustaining offensively and couldn’t punch it in when we got in the red zone. But our defense came out better in the second half, and we got some field position and capitalized in the third quarter. Scoring twice in the fourth and sealing the game with 23 seconds left showed great resolve from our squad. We will have to play better in the second half of our season, but 1-0 in districts is a big start for us.”
Cherryvale now shifts its focus to maintaining momentum as the heart of district competition gets underway.
Box Score & Scoring Summary
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Galena | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Cherryvale | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 22 |
First Quarter
- GHS — Suade Dixon 14-yard pass to Isiah Farfan (Trace Hutchison kick), 2:49 (Galena 7–0)
Second Quarter
- GHS — Suade Dixon 21-yard pass to Isiah Farfan (Trace Hutchison kick), 0:08 (Galena 14–0)
Third Quarter
- CHS — Wyatt Duncan 3-yard run (Pass failed), 2:50 (Galena 14–6)
Fourth Quarter
- CHS — Wyatt Duncan 1-yard run (Remington John pass to Brock Carrico), 11:34 (Tied 14–14)
- CHS — Remington John 8-yard scramble (Remington John pass to Braxton Whittley), 0:23 (Cherryvale 22–14)
