BIG GAME, BAD RESULT | Play of the year candidate for Lions (Coleman & Garza interception), but in a loss at Chapel Hill (WITH VIDEO)

CHAPEL HILL – So, it was only fitting that the final playoff spot in District 9-4A, Division I (that’s just too much of a mouthful) was decided in the wildest, craziest, most bizarre fashion possible here on the outskirts of Tyler Friday night.

The Chapel Hill Bulldogs, who’ve battled with those Kilgore Bulldogs for the scepter of the district for the last half-decade, hosted the Henderson Lions for what would amount to a loser-leaves-town, a win-and-you’re-in, lose-and-you’re-out situation with a spot in the UIL Class 4A, Division I playoffs on the line Friday.

After a scoring spurt that included not one but two interceptions returned for touchdowns that helped Henderson build a 28-7 first-half lead, it looked like the Lions were going to cruise to a road win.

But to quote recently-retired ESPN personality Lee Corso…

“Not so fast, my friend.”

Chapel Hill, showing the speed and talent that took them deep into the playoffs the last four years (including a berth in the 4A-DI state championship two years ago, a loss to Anna), came storming back, rallying to not only re-claim the lead but to score 42 unanswered points for a 56-35 win.

Chapel Hill (6-4) is finished with the regular season; coach Jeff Riordan’s team has an open date this coming Friday in the season’s final week, as the other programs battle it out before the postseason begins. Henderson (5-4) will host Lindale (8-1) on Friday. The Eagles beat Pine Tree, 17-10.

Kilgore, without a district loss and with eight straight wins, will go into the 4A-DI playoffs as the district’s top seed. Lindale, with wins over Pine Tree and Chapel Hill, will be No. 2. Pine Tree, who also defeated Chapel Hill and Henderson, will be third, and Chapel Hill will be fourth. Henderson finishes fifth, just missing the playoffs again – Henderson unfortunately misses out for a sixth straight year. Ironically, the last time the Lions made the playoffs was also the last time they beat Chapel Hill (2019).

As for senior running back Jesstin Starling and his pursuit of Henderson’s all-time school rushing yardage and touchdown records, he goes into the season finale still short of both. Starling didn’t score against Chapel Hill Friday night, and needs nine touchdowns to get that record. With only the one game left, that may be out of reach.

On the other hand, Starling needs less than 100 yards to break the program’s career yardage record. Joe Wylie set it back in the early 1960’s: 3,730. If Starling is healthy and can play Friday night against Lindale, that one could finally be broken after all these years, and could be broken at home.

The Lions had a wild and crazy one in Chapel Hill Friday night, as it seems most games played at Chapel Hill are.

The Bulldogs’ Maliek Brown had a nice kick return to open the game, all the way to midfield, a 29-yard return to the Henderson 49-yard-line.

A run by Lemuel Stinson for 7, then an incomplete pass left the Bulldogs in third and short, and Demarcion Blaylock took care of that in short order: a direct snap all the way down inside the Henderson 15, a first-and-goal.

But a holding call brought it back, but not all the way, only partially, to the Henderson 27. An 8-yard pick-up left the ‘Dogs in second and 2, and on that down, the center snapped the ball before quarterback Malik Gee was ready, and an incomplete pass was the result.

On third-and-2 from the Henderson 17, Gee just took the snap and ran through the muddled mess for an easy first down, to the 11. The next play: an even-easier 11-yard touchdown run by Blaylock, with 10:04 left in the first quarter. Esteban Sandoval’s extra point was perfect, and made it 7-0 Bulldogs.

A fumbled kickoff led to zero points, mainly thanks to a Chapel Hill running mistake, and big defense by the Lions. Henderson took over on downs with a little over eight minutes left in the first quarter – but not for long. Chapel Hill, at midfield, said they stripped Starling of the ball – and officials agreed, Henderson’s second ruled fumble of the night with just over four minutes gone off the first-quarter clock.

Blaylock reeled off a big run all the way to Henderson’s 20, and then Stinson to the 10 for another first down, to the 9, actually.

And then – disaster struck for Chapel Hill. Gee, fighting for yards, had the ball knocked loose by a host of Lions at Henderson’s 5-yard-line. Semaj Deckard had it bounce right into his hands. Deckard broke free, accompanied by a host of teammates, all the way down to Chapel Hill’s 29.

Henderson set up shop there with 6:44 left in the quarter. Quarterback Vince Howard slung it to one of his favorite receivers, Lemarion Coleman, but for only about a yard. The offensive line of Ryne Malone, Dakalin Stein, D’Kalyn Pellum, Zayden Castlebury, and Grayson Herrera, tried to get the running game going, but Chapel Hill was having none of it, and in fact, other than some success later in the second half by Jayden Bishop, they were having none of it all night. Here, the Lions found themselves in fourth-and-3.

The Lions converted – Howard completed a pass to Macen Jones for 10 to the Chapel Hill 12 – and then handed off to Starling. It looked like Chapel Hill was expecting Starling to get it. Starling got only about 2, to the 10, and the Lions were in second and long from there.

Howard scrambled for maybe 3 yards, but then found Coleman at the goal line – Coleman grabbed the pass and fell backward, a 5-yard TOUCHDOWN, HENDERSON, his fourth TD reception of the year. Ivan Navarro hit the extra point and tied the game at 7, with 3:45 left in the first quarter.

Believe it or not, Jeremiah Hinojosa of Chapel Hill caught a pass from Gee, and at midfield was tackled, and lost the ball on the way down. Henderson recovered, and on the Chapel Hill 49, Henderson began its drive with 3:27 left in the first quarter. Howard went for the kill right away – and Brailon Walker caught it, a 49-yard pass for a TOUCHDOWN, HENDERSON, the go-ahead score. With 3:20 left, Henderson had scored two touchdowns in 25 seconds, and Navarro’s point was good, giving Henderson a 14-7 advantage.

Chapel Hill was quickly in third down and 4 at its own 41.

But a couple of passes, one of them to Blaylock, allowed them to convert at the Henderson 35.

On first-and-10, though, Gee’s pass was caught by Brown, near the Henderson 10, but out of bounds.

Blalock would get the first down on a run, and as the first quarter ran down, Chapel Hill was flagged for a false start, putting them in a first-and-15 at the Henderson 25. Gee’s first-down pass was incomplete, the final play of the quarter.

The first play of the second quarter might have been the play of the year so far, though, in the ETBlitz area, and wouldn’t it figure it would be Coleman that would be involved.

Gee’s pass was intercepted inside the 10 by Coleman, and Coleman returned it all the way to Chapel Hill’s 20. Stinson caught up with Coleman, but Coleman lateraled it to Eric Garza, who took it into the end zone for the touchdown, a pick-six, officially by Garza, but pulled off by two different Henderson players! Henderson’s lead increased to 21-7, with 11:40 left in the half.

On the very next drive, Justin Howard intercepted Gee, as well, and with 10:51 left, Henderson had another pick-six, this one from about 25 yards out, and Navarro’s extra point made it 28-7 Henderson, blowing the game open.

Stinson sparked Chapel Hill on its next drive, and as it turned out, began the Bulldogs’ comeback in the game with a  20-yard run all the way to Henderson’s 30. On the next play, Blaylock managed a 27-yarder to the Lions’ 3. Chapel Hill got into scoring position in less than 50 seconds.

Joshua Castaneda scored on a 2-yard run to cut the Lions’ lead in half (28-14) with 9:57 left in the half.

Vince Howard came back onto the field, the offense’s job having been made easier by the defense’s two scores. But a snap went awry through Howard’s hands, and he had to chase it down, all the way back at Henderson’s 12. Macen Jones got off a great punt, sending the ball back to midfield. Chapel Hill began the drive at its own 46, with 8 ½ minutes left in the half.

The Bulldogs began feeding Blaylock the ball, then Stinson, working their way quickly all the way to Henderson’s 27 in just three plays.

In second and 3 from that spot, Stinson ran to the Lions’ 20, and another first down.

When Brown tried a fifth reverse, Varian Williams and Jordan Ervin were all over it, a loss of 10.

On second and 20, Blaylock got free, and made it a more respectable third down, third and 13 at the 21.

After a time-out, and much apparent confusion by the offensive players, Gee got a pass to Stinson, and Stinson got to the 5, a first-and-goal.

Blaylock was spun down by Henderson defenders at the 7, a loss of 1. Castaneda was brought down after a short gain on second down, although a pair of penalties were called: Henderson for illegal substation, and then holding on Chapel Hill.

The Bulldogs were put in second-and-goal at the 12. Gee tossed it to Blaylock, who went around the right side, and got in, a Chapel Hill touchdown with 4:14 left until halftime.

Sandoval hit the point after, and got the Bulldogs within a score, 28-21. After trailing by three touchdowns, Henderson’s lead had dwindled to just one, and in less than seven minutes of game time.

Henderson’s ensuing possession ended in a punt, and after the two-minute time out, the Bulldogs had a first down at their own 40.

The Bulldogs got back into scoring position quickly, and it was Castaneda again, his second score of the night, a 5-yard TD with 1:03 left – the game-tying score. The point after by Sandoval was good and the Lions saw that three touchdown lead completely disappear. They were tied again, 28-all, with 1:03 left until halftime.

It got worse, somehow.

The kickoff after the game-tying touchdown was fumbled, and Chapel Hill has at right back, a first down at Henderson’s  35 with 54 seconds left. There was a bit of clock mismanagement that went on for Chapel Hill, but ultimately they ran Sandoval out and the field goal attempt, a 37-yarder, was blocked by Brailon Walker on what would be the final play of the half.

The teams exchanged punts for the first half of the third quarter.

An incomplete pass, a run by Jayden Bishop for a yard and a second incomplete pass – one that was deep and almost caught by Coleman along the Henderson sideline – left Henderson in a fourth-and-9 deep in its own territory. Instead of a first down near the 35, Jones had to punt from his own goal line. It was a good one, but no return. Chapel Hill began the drive at the 50, with 4:34 left in the third quarter, again still tied at 28.

That would only last two plays more. Blaylock would score from 43 yards out, on a second-down play. Sandoval’s extra point put Chapel Hill up since the early moments of the game, 35-28, with 3:52 left in the third.

Howard and Coleman again couldn’t hook up with a long throw to Coleman downfield, with just over 2 ½ minutes left in the third. On second down, Howard tried to scramble, but was ran out of bounds for a loss of about 4. On third and 14 from the Lions’ own 31, Howard, on the move, hurled a ball downfield, but the receiver was double-covered and couldn’t pull the ball in.

Henderson had to send Jones out for another punt. There was no return, but Henderson players downed it at the Chapel Hill 33, with 2:09 left in the quarter.

Chapel Hil’s next drive finished the quarter, a big 18-yard pass from Gee to Calico on second and 20 got the Bulldogs deep into Henderson territory.

Into the fourth quarter it went, and Gee and Brown hooked up for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 8:24 left. The Sandoval extra point made it 49-28, and Chapel Hill had outscored Henderson, 42-0, after the Lions took a three-touchdown lead in the first quarter.

Snow scores on a 5-yard TD run with 4:49 left, and made it 56-28.

Mike Russell, just a freshman, scored for Henderson with just 36 seconds left in the game, his first-ever varsity touchdown (56-35).