PIRATES SLIP PAST RAMS ON LATE KICK

PERRYVILLE -- Perryville High senior Joel Heuring tried not to be too nervous -- even though he was about to decide the outcome of Friday night's football game against visiting Scott City.

The Pirates trailed the Rams by two points when Heuring lined up to attempt a 26-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds of the contest.

"Of course, you're always nervous in a situation like that," Heuring would say later. "But you just try to block it out."

Block it out he did. Heuring's kick blasted through the uprights with 14 seconds remaining to lift the Pirates to a thrilling 13-12 victory.

Perryville, an unranked Class 4A squad, is now 3-1 on the season.

Scott City, ranked fourth in the state in Class 2A, suffered its first loss and is also 3-1.

Heuring, who kicked a 31-yard field goal in the opening quarter for Perryville's first points, now has four field goals this season.

"This is the first time it's come down to a kick at the end like this," he said. "My team drove all the way down the field. I had to make it for them."

Scott City had taken a 12-10 lead with 4:06 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Lance Amick, who moved the Rams 65 yards in seven plays after Brandon Amick had intercepted a pass to thwart what could have been a game-clinching drive for the Pirates.

"That was my fault," said Perryville coach Jerry Tucker. "I got too cute and made a mistake by calling for a pass late."

After Scott City's go-ahead touchdown, Perryville took over on its 38-yard line with 3:58 left.

Heuring -- who also plays running back in Perryville's wishbone offense -- picked up 26 yards to help the Pirates moved to the Scott City 20. On third-and-five with 17 seconds left, a pass interference call on the Rams moved the ball to the 10.

Heuring then came on to boot his winning field goal. Scott City could only run one more play after the kickoff.

"It was a real tight game all the way around," said Tucker. "Both teams played very hard. Scott City has an excellent team. I expected this kind of game."

Said Scott City coach Terry Flannigan, "They took it to us in the first half, but in the second half we punched back. Our kids showed a lot of character. We played well at times but we had some breakdowns."

Perryville finished with 334 yards -- 249 on the ground -- to 231 total yards for Scott City.

"We had trouble scoring in the red zone," Tucker said.

Heuring rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries and Matt Jenkins had 87 yards on 23 attempts.

Lance Amick had a big night, completing 10 of 17 passes for 163 yards. Brandon Amick caught six passes for 106 yards.

B. Amick caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from L. Amick with 49 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Rams a 6-3 halftime lead.

B. Amick returned the second half's opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown -- but a clip wiped it out.

Jenkins caught a 39-yard TD pass from Derek Cattoor in the third quarter to put Perryville ahead 10-6.

Early in the final period, Scott City was stopped on fourth-and-goal just inches from the goal line.

On the next play, Heuring was caught in the end zone for a safety -- but a facemask penalty wiped that out.

Clearly, the football gods were not with the Rams.

"We had some calls go against us," Flannigan said. "But you shouldn't put yourself in a position where those things cost you."

Scott City was also hurt by two crucial missed extra points that wound up being decisive.