One yard never seemed so long.
The Poly Prep football team lost a heartbreaker on Sept. 16, falling 17–13 to Christ the King at home after the Blue Devils were unable to get the ball into the end zone on the final play of the game.
Poly had the ball on the one-yard line and the squad was certain quarterback Rob Deleon-Kollmer had barreled in for the game-winning touchdown as time expired, but officials ruled he didn’t make it far enough. It was a disappointing loss after a game in which Poly answered every challenge it faced.
“Our kids played tough,” Blue Devils coach Kevin Fountaine said. “Christ the King’s got a lot of talent, but so do we. We’re going to get better from this.”
The non-league game was a back-and-forth affair early, but Christ the King (2–0) took the lead late in the third quarter as quarterback Demetrius Wilson hit Anthony Lang in stride for a 53-yard touchdown.
Poly (1–1) responded with a strong drive of its own to start the fourth quarter, but Deleon-Kollmer was picked off by Christ the King’s Randy Pringle on fourth-and-two at the 16-yard line.
It was a rare miscue for the senior quarterback who was the spark that made the Devils’ offense go all night. Deleon-Kollmer racked up 85 yards through the air, as well as 126 yards on the ground. He ran for a touchdown and threw for another, connecting with Nick Storz midway through the third quarter.
“He wants to show that he can play quarterback and we’re happy to have him,” Fountaine said of his quarterback. “We think he’s just going to get better and better the more games he plays and the more comfortable he gets in this new offense.”
The Blue Devils’ defense — led by big-time recruit Isaiah Wilson on the line — forced Christ the King to turn the ball over on downs during the Royals’ drive following the pick.
Poly took over on its 31-yard line and Deleon-Kollmer went back to work. The quarterback led his squad down the field quickly, racking up yards through the air and on the ground. A pass-interference call on Christ the King gave Poly the ball on the four-yard line with fewer than 30 seconds on the clock.
Deleon-Kollmer did his best to work the ball forward, chipping away at the yardage and, with one final play, lined up at the one-yard line.
But he just couldn’t get the ball in.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for Poly, particularly after such an intense on-field battle, but the Devils squad isn’t willing to spend much time wallowing.
“We’re real proud of our guys,” Fountaine said. “We’ll regroup and get ready for homecoming. Our guys are going to be ready. We’re going to play hard again.”
