Late score leads Rich East to win

Updated: September 24, 2011 10:30PM

For Rich East quarterback Malcolm Miller, not much went right in the second half of Saturday’s Southland game against Rich Central.

The Rockets had turned the ball over three times, and Miller had completed just 2 of 10 passes overall.

But as Rich East Barry Reade told his squad, the game is 48 minutes long.

Trailing 29-27 in their own territory with 20 seconds left in the game, Miller and the Rockets pulled off the impossible. Scrambling from the pocket, Miller found a wide-open Rondell Willingham down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown strike in Rich East’s 35-29 thrilling win in Park Forest.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Miller said. “I was looking for people, and I couldn’t find anyone. At the last second, I found Rondell and launched it.”

Willingham had 125 rushing yards on 24 carries and a score, a two-yarder, for Rich East (4-1, 2-0). Miller had a 16-yard rushing touchdown and added another score in the air, a nine-yard pass to Anthony Perkins, for the Rockets.

After the defense came through repeatedly for Rich Central, the game came down to one breakdown late, coach Terrell Alexander putting it on his own shoulders.

“One breakdown,” Alexander said. “Great throw. Great catch. I probably should have backed the guy up 30 or 40 yards, but they had been beating us underneath. There was enough time for a couple more plays so you cant go absolute prevent (defense). It was just a nice throw.”

Central quarterback Devonte Black and James Thigpen (12 rushes, 56 yards) led the Olympians back into the game as they trailed 27-23 early in the third. Thigpen bounced off several defenders for a 12-yard rushing score that put Central up 29-27, a lead that looked to be safe in the closing minute.

Gaston Butler and Calvin Wiley both had interceptions of Miller in the third quarter while Jermaine Hughes recovered a fumble for the Olympians.

“We had a lot of (offensive) struggles throughout the game,” Miller said. “We played down to their level, and we have to play up. We came through in the end.”

Black finished 12 of 21 for 285 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for one more for Rich Central (2-3, 1-1). Shawn Mitchell caught both touchdowns, 35 and 52 yards, ending with seven catches for 183 yards.

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