CHAD HAWKINS STADIUM — David Hernandez stood on the brown November grass near the 20-yard line. Every eye in the stadium – maybe every eye in the whole town – was riveted on him. Moments later, with a pivot and a kick, the junior became a legendary figure in Collinsville football history.

When the ball disappeared between the uprights and into the cold, dark sky, the Panthers had defeated Lynn 24-22 to advance to the third round of the state playoffs.  

It was a kick that almost didn’t happen.  

After leading the entire game, Collinsville surrendered a last-minute, go-ahead two-point conversion. Then Panther offense drove 54 yards in 34 seconds to give Hernandez his moment in the spotlight.  

Collinsville’s defense deserves just as much credit for giving Hernandez the chance. They intercepted Lynn quarterback Ben Cagle five times and kept the Bears off the scoreboard in the first half. 

Senior Tray Reed intercepted three of those passes. His third was a 61-yard interception return for a touchdown. Senior Curtis Williams and junior DeShawn Moore also snared first-half interceptions.  

Collinsville managed an offensive score in the half, as well, marching 94 yards in seven plays on the first possession. Senior quarterback Nathan Coker’s 68-yard strike to Williams and Hernandez’s extra point put the Panthers up 7-0 with 6:33 left in the first quarter.

With Reed’s second-quarter defensive score, the Panthers held a 14-0 halftime lead.  

In the second half Lynn couldn’t be kept off the scoreboard any longer. On their first possession the Bears drove 64 yards in six plays to score. Senior receiver William Henson capped the march with a 20-yard reception over the middle. Henson’s extra point trimmed the Collinsville lead to 14-7. 

Both teams embarked on failed drives to end the third quarter, and the Panthers clung to a 14-7 lead.

Starting the final quarter, Collinsville pieced together their best sustained drive of the game. The Panthers ran 15 plays and ate up over seven minutes of the clock while marching for the score. Senior Jesse Chandler’s six-yard surge and Hernandez’s extra point put Collinsville up 21-7 with 5:32 remaining. 

After the game, Collinsville head coach Alan Beckett reflected on the pivotal possession. 

“I thought that was a gutsy, gutsy drive,” he said. “We went straight at them. Our line did a great job getting some movement.” 

But Lynn wouldn’t go down without a fight. They quickly assembled two consecutive scoring drives. The first came from Cagle, who scampered in from two yards out with 4:31 remaining. 

After a failed Collinsville possession, Cagle then tossed a 34-yard touchdown strike to junior William Murray.  

The Bears lined up for the conversion, trailing 21-20. But before the snap Collinsville was flagged for being offsides. With the ball advanced half the distance, to the 1-yard line, Lynn chose to fake the extra point and attempt to take the lead. 

Cagle, who had lined up as the holder, rolled into the right flat and rifled a pass. Lynn junior Zacharie Jones cradled it in the end zone, and the Bears led 22-21. 

Collinsville received the ensuing kickoff at the 34-yard line with 42.5 seconds to go. After a 14-yard Coker run, Collinsville coaches called the big play leading up to Hernandez’s kick.  

“We saw them back off, so we ran the screen [pass],” Beckett said. “The big play of the whole drive was the screen.”  

Curtis Williams took the pass down the Collinsville sideline to the Lynn 25. He was pushed out of bounds with 18.8 seconds to play. After a five-yard run, Coker threw toward the end zone on the next play, drawing an interference penalty. The mark-off put the Panthers well within Hernandez’s field goal range with 8.5 seconds to go.

The 28-yarder split the uprights, giving the Panthers the 24-22 lead. Four seconds later, the game was in the books. Beckett had nothing but praise for his kicker. 

“David Hernandez did a great job,” Beckett said. “He spends so many hours out here kicking. He is a special, God-fearing young man. As special as that kick was, he’s that much more special a guy.”