By CADE KENNEDY, Sports Editor
The clock hit zero, the band played and the Ranger fans waved goodbye to their rivals as Northwestern defeated Southwestern, 31-28, Saturday at Ranger Field.
The Rangers got out to a fast start, as Tanner Clarkson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Garner to give the Rangers an early 7-0 lead.
The Rangers, scored again on their next drive, with Calion Baker ending the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to give the Rangers a 14-0 lead with under five minutes to go in the first quarter.
This start would not last for the Rangers, as the Bulldogs rallied during the second and third quarters. After Lafayette Wright threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Torin Justice, Southwestern tied the game at 21-21.
After multiple punts by each team, the Rangers had the ball at their own 8-yard line with 6:31 left in the third quarter.
The Rangers scored when Clarkson connected with Garner on a 51-yard touchdown pass that gave the Rangers a 28-21 lead with three minutes to go in the third quarter.
Garner finished the season with 12 touchdowns, giving him 25 touchdowns for his career and tying a Northwestern record.
Both offenses stalled until Nick Dill made a 24-yard field goal to put the Rangers up 31-21 with 3:13 remaining in the game.
On the next drive, Southwestern scored with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Justice to cut the Ranger lead to three.
The Rangers recovered the onside kick from Southwestern, but the Bulldogs used three timeouts to stop the clock.
Northwestern got down to the Bulldog 11-yard line on fourth down.
Dill went out on the field to kick a 28-yard field goal to give the Rangers a six-point lead. The kick sailed through the uprights, but a flag was on the field.
The Bulldogs committed a roughing the kic
ker penalty that gave the Rangers a first down and the victory, 31-28.
The Rangers finished the season with a 2-9 record, but three players received All-GAC honors. Romello Bentley, Brian Holiday and Garner were all members of this year’s All-GAC team. Bentley and Holiday are members of the first team, while Garner is on the second team.
