Mays prevails against tough Whitewater

Whitewater’s special teams took Mays to the woodshed Friday night. The only problem was Whitewater forgot to close the back door as the Raiders (3-0) used a Wildcats mistake to win 17-14.

Junior Mambay Kanu provided the winner by nailing a 20-yard field goal with three seconds remaining. The winning drive began after Mays senior Myer Nolan recovered a muffed punt at Whitewater’s 37-yard line with two minutes left.

A 12-yard third-down scramble by Bobby Anthony and a 21-yard run by fellow senior Winston Bodrick set up the winning kick.

“I just kept saying to myself to make it — just make it. I was so nervous before it, but once it went through, I can’t explain the relief I had,” said Manu, who is better known as a standout soccer player and began playing football six months ago.

Class AAAA No. 5 Whitewater (2-1) carried a 14-7 lead into the half by piecing together two textbook drives. Senior Thomas Frierson ended each with a touchdown run.

Frierson’s second score ended a 14-play, 91-yard drive as Whitewater’s wing-T was rolling.

But Mays, ranked No. 8 in Class AAAA, chose to gamble more on defense, and that pressure limited the Wildcats for the most in the second half.

Frierson finished with 69 yards on 15 carries, and senior fullback Chris Wingate had 74 yards on 11 carries.

Mays tied the score midway through the third quarter with a 96-yard, seven-play drive.

On the drive, senior Desmond Walker had a 60-yard run, and Nolan finished the drive by dashing 20 yards on a wingback sweep.

Walker rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.

Whitewater’s best shot at taking the lead came late in the third, but the drive was thwarted when Mays cornerback Ricardo Knox knocked down Chase Penland’s fourth-down pass that seemed bound for a 26-yard touchdown for the Wildcats.