Coach Starnes gives a celebratory hug to T.K. Guess after his game-winning catch.

Rockets win in incredible finish!
T.K.'s last-second TD KOs Caldwell

Princeton, Ky. (Aug. 27, 2004) - In yet another amazing finish in this biting series between border rivals Crittenden and Caldwell counties, T.K. Guess gathered in a touchdown pass as time ran out and scored the game-winner, lifting the Rockets to their fourth straight win over the Tigers.

Never in the history of this rivalry had Crittenden won back-to-back until two years ago. Now, to capture four in a row and six out of the last seven is a monumental milestone in local football lore.

Like so many of the most recent encounters, this one went down to the waning moments of the contest as the Rockets fought downfield in one of the most improbable comebacks. Caldwell scored on its first two possessions of the game for a 13-0 lead, making it quite remarkable that the Rockets were even in position to win the game in the fourth period.

However, Crittenden quarterback Austin Berry put his team on top with an eight-yard TD run to cap an 86-yard drive with 2:37 left in the game. Leading 22-19, it appeared the Rockets might just pull off the win after being predicted as the game's underdog. All they had to do was stop the home team one last time.

Yet the Tigers shot back quickly, and for a time dashing the Rocket upset hopes, when the coach's son Josh Hatchell caught a pass in the flat and raced 34 yards into the end zone with just 1:05 to play.

Crittenden's offense had stalled and sputtered early. In their their two series of the game, the Rockets failed to gain a positive yard. By halftime, they had only 16 yards rushing and the passing game had been hit and miss. But as time disappeared off the clock, Crittenden buttoned up and brought out the brass for an amazing finish.

Trailing by four with just a minute left in the game, the Rockets took the last kickoff to their own 39. A fourth-down pass from Berry to fullback Blake Gardner kept the drive alive and took the ball just inside Caldwell territory. That's when Guess, who hadn't caught a pass all night, rolled up his sleeves and clocked in. A 38-yard reception took Crittenden to the 11 with seven seconds left. Berry misfired on the next attempt and lined up for one more play with just two seconds to go.

On a quick slant pattern, Guess slipped wide open just in front of the goal line where he cradle the pass and spun around untouched into the end zone for the walk-off victory on the last play.

It marked the second straight season that the Rockets have defeated the Tigers with a touchdown pass in the final seconds. Indeed, the margin of victory over the last four years has been three points or less each time.

"This is what happens when you never give up, when you never quit," coach Al Starnes told his jubilant team as it celebrated on Caldwell's turf afterwards. "This is very special for our seniors who have never lost to Caldwell County."

Now that's something never uttered before.

SCORING PLAYS
Cald-Donovan Dame 1 run (Nick East kick) 7:24, 1st
Cald-Allen Wadlington 7 run (kick failed) 3:55, 1st
Critt-T.K. Guess 1 run (George Congenie kick) 10:35, 2nd
Critt-Cody Robinson 22 run (Congenie kick) 5:11, 3rd
Cald-Josh Hatchell 2 run (run failed) 9:06, 4th
Critt-Austin Berry 8 run (Berry run) 2:37, 4th
Cald-Hatchell 34 pass from Dame (East kick) 1:05, 4th
Critt-Guess 11 pass from Berry, :00