“It honestly feels great ― I knew he was looking at me,” Henry said. “We’ve ran through the same play in practice because our defense they blitz a lot when we’re doing goal line. As soon as I seen the two backers blitz, I just made sure I got in the end zone. I just knew it was going to be game.”
The final score capped a night that saw nine lead changes, seven touchdown passes and Northmont (3-3) lose for the third time in GWOC play in crushing fashion. The T-Bolts lost two weeks ago to Fairmont in overtime and by one point last week to Centerville.
“It’s the same thing I told then after Fairmont in overtime and again last week after Centerville by one point,” Northmont coach Tony Broering said. “That’s how the GWOC is every game. Every team is good. And every game is going to come down to the last play. And you have to be the guy to step up and make that play. We had chances to do it, and we didn’t do it.”
The Vikings (4-2, 1-2 GWOC) broke a two-game losing streak. The victory also was head coach Lance Schneider’s first since returning last week from a two-week administrative leave penalty for showing a PG-13 movie in a seventh-grade class without administrative and parental approval. The win was also Schneider’s third straight over Northmont, where he previously coached.
“It means a lot,” Barr said about having Schneider back. “I mean, the team was wasn’t right when he was gone. He knows how to win.”
Schneider knew with the ball in Barr’s hands with 48 yards to go with 1:41 left on the clock that his team had a chance. The play before the touchdown, Barr scrambled seven yards to the eight after he was well-protected and his receivers were well-covered.
“He’s smart, he’s fast as can be, makes a lot of things happen with his legs and he’s got a great arm too,” Schneider said. “And he’s got everything you want in a quarterback. He’s a player.”
Barr completed 14 of 21 passes for 280 yards and threw four touchdown passes. His first three were for 43 and 35 yards to Connor Smith, who also rushed for a touchdown, and 69 yards to Jaden Bruton.
Northmont’s Deuce Cortner also had a big night throwing, completing 21 of 33 for 263 yards. He connected on touchdown passes of 4 and 35 yards to Dalin Wilkins and 10 yards to Brady Lupton. Cortner also ran for scores of 5 and 6 yards.
The Vikings had to punt with 3:28 left, but their defense came through and got the ball back after a 23-yard punt. The four sacks Barr had taken, which were the first ones of the season, didn’t matter then. The line protected and Barr drove them to victory.
“The last two weeks we had leads in the second half and didn’t capitalize and make plays to win games, and finally we were able to do that tonight,” Schneider said. “It’s just a testament to these kids. They’re good kids, they’ve got good chemistry, thick as thieves with each other. It just shows when things go bad we don’t get down on each other.”
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