Logan edges Grady in OT

GRADY - Logan quarterback Aydin Kotara connected with Marshall Ortega for a 16-yard touchdown pass in overtime to secure a 32-26 victory Friday night over Grady in a key district matchup in six-man football.

That pass brought redemption for Kotara, who had lost three fumbles against an intense Grady pass rush. He finished with 97 yards passing and two TDs - the other a 33-yarder to Mason Wallin in the first quarter.

"He ran for his life all night," Logan coach Dwayne Roberts said of Kotara. "He didn't have a lot of time. He was getting frustrated. But he fought through it and and got the win right there."

The game featured four lead changes, two ties and probably a lot of palpitating hearts on both sides of the field.

Payson Nials' interception near the goal line of Grady quarterback Zander Ciancio's pass during the Bronchos' first possession of OT set up the winning score. (During overtime, teams receive one possession and four downs on their opponent's 15-yard line.)

Wallin's pressure caused Cianco to underthrow the ball. Nials was intent on returning the pick to the other end zone to end the game, but was tackled near midfield.

Logan improved to 3-0 and moved into contention in its district. Grady, a semifinalist last year in six-man football, fell to 2-1.

Logan totaled 284 yards in offense - including 181 yards and two touchdowns by Haden Judd - but saw potential scoring drives snuffed by turnovers and 85 yards in penalties.

"We kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Roberts said. "We get momentum going and looked like we're fixing to start pulling away, then we'd turn it over or do something stupid.

"So the boys had to fight through this. We had to go through adversity to win this game. We're going to have to clean some things up, though."

Save for an occasional big play, the Bronchos struggled do much on offense. They barely compiled 100 yards of offense, and Ciancio threw three interceptions.

Grady coach Les Ciancio said the Longhorns wore down his team as the game progressed.

"They're big and they leaned on us all game, and it kind of showed there at the end when we wore down a little bit," he said. "Their size kind of killed us there at the end.

"That's a good team; they're tough to handle. They do a lot of things well."

Grady grabbed a two-touchdown lead early.

On the Bronchos' first possession, they needed just four plays to score, capped by a 13-yard TD run by Deakin Ragland.

Trey Rush set up the Bronchos' second score when he returned Kotara's fumble nearly 60 yards to the Logan 3-yard line. Ragland scored three plays later to make it 12-0.

Logan responded with a Kotara-to-Wallin TD reception late in the first period to cut Grady's lead to 12-6.

Midway through the second period, Judd reversed field after a handoff and scored a 24-yard touchdown.

On Logan's extra-point attempt, Wallin couldn't attempt a kick due to a bounced snap. He instead grabbed the ball and lofted a pass near the end zone to Devin Kotara, who caught it and ran it in for the PAT and a 13-12 Logan lead.

On the second-half kickoff, Rush returned it nearly 40 yards to give the Bronchos a first down on Logan's 18.

On fourth-and-long, Ragland caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Ciancio for an 18-13 Grady lead.

Midway through the third period, Logan running back Stratton Schoonover scored on a 32-yard run down the left side. On the point-after, Wallin bulled his way into the end zone for a 20-18 Logan lead.

Early in the fourth period, Rush returned another forced Aydin Kotara fumble to Logan's 14. Three plays later, Gavin West caught a 6-yard touchdown pass. Ciancio's two-point kick gave Grady a 26-20 advantage.

On Grady's next possession, Kotara intercepted Cianco's pass near the goal line and returned it to the Logan 29.

On the next play, Judd used his track-champion speed to score a 51-yard touchdown. Aydin Kotara's pass for the PAT fell incomplete, keeping the score 26-26.

Logan's defense kept Grady pinned in its territory late in the game.

Schoonover scored what would have been Logan's game-winning TD with less than a minute left, but a penalty nullified it. Harassed by Grady defenders, Aydin Kotara fumbled on the next play with five seconds left.

Grady's first two plays in its overtime possession netted 5 yards before Nials' interception.

During Logan's game-winning score, Aydin Kotara scrambled to his right and saw Ortega apparently uncovered on that side of the end zone. Ortega didn't have to jump or run to cradle the ball.

"I just hoped I wouldn't drop it," Ortega told his coach about the catch after the game.

"I'm very proud of the boys," Roberts said. "I mean, that's a good team. They were ready for us, and we had to fight to win this one."

Coach Ciancio said not many competitive teams exist in six-man football and that the Logan game will be beneficial to his squad later in the season.

"We're looking forward to seeing them again in the playoffs," he said. "I can't wait to play them again.

"I mean, what a game ... even in a loss."

Logan hosts Dora for a district game at 7 p.m. Friday. Dora (2-0) crushed Floyd 51-0 on Friday.