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Hail Mary catch gives CAHS a 20-14 football win over Arawaks
Chickenhawks stake claim to St. Thomas district crown
By CHRIS WALSH
Tuesday, November 3rd 2009

Daily News PhotoS by SEAN McCOY Brandon Wadsworth pulls down a last-second pass for a touchdown to give CAHS the win over the Arawaks at the CAHS field.

ST. THOMAS - The Charlotte Amalie Chickenhawks needed all 48 minutes to pull it off and when the clock struck zero they finally found themselves ahead of the St. Thomas private schools Arawaks.

With no time on the clock, Charlotte Amalie's quarterback Cursim Hansen threw up a prayer that was answered when his tight end, Brandon Wadsworth, came down with the ball in the back of the end zone.

The touchdown gave CAHS its first lead of the night when it mattered most. Time expired on the play and the Chickenhawks emerged as the 2009 St. Thomas District champs with a 20-14 win.

"It is easy to see why our preseason player of the year pick was Cursim Hansen," a winded and emotional CAHS head coach Francisco Jarvis said after being doused with Gatorade by his players. "I don't know what his stats were, but he held his composure and came through in the end."

The game's last play wasn't what the head coach called in though. After center Kelvin Joelfield read a blitz, Hansen changed Jarvis' play at the line of scrimmage.

CAHS quarterback Cursim Hansen lunges with the ball on a running play.

Hansen then took the snap, dropped back with plenty of time from his offensive line, and threw toward the back of the end zone. Two defenders jumped, missed the ball, and Wadsworth was there to make the catch.

"Catch it, please catch it," Wadsworth said of what was going threw his mind when the ball was in the air. "I was so happy when I caught it, all I could hear was the crowd going crazy."

While the game's final play was one to be remembered on one side of the field - the events leading up to it won't soon be forgotten by the Arawaks.

St. Thomas private schools were looking like they were about to go for a game-winning drive after they forced a four-and-out and took over possession on their own 30-yard line with two minutes to play.

After a 16-yard pass from Carson Wessinger to Tyler Gray and a couple runs by Kyle Richardson and Daniel Rosey, the Arawaks had the ball first-and-10 at the CAHS 23-yard line. Gray took the snap and tried to complete a long pass down field, but there for the interception was a leaping Elvis Richardson Jr.

CAHS took over at their own 20-yard line with just 22 seconds left in the game.

Their first play was just an eight-yard run by Hansen, but during an immediate timeout by the Chickenhawks an unsportsmanlike penalty was called on the Arawaks moving the ball 15 more yards.

On first-and-10 from their own 44-yard line Hansen hit Shaquille Peterson for a 13-yard completion. A late hit was called as Peterson stepped out of bounds and another 15 yards was tacked on to the play.

On first down on the Arawaks 25-yard line, Hansen hit Wadsworth for the game-winning pass.

"I feel like we got robbed," Arawaks head coach Luke Neely said. "That was horrible officiating, they basically drove them down the field.

"I've got complete respect for Jarvis and his team, but what happened in the fourth quarter was completely unacceptable."

The Arawaks were penalized 12 times for 106 yards during the game and CAHS was penalized five times for 30 yards, but it was CAHS that had a touchdown called back in the first quarter.

The game began as a defensive struggle with each team having only one drive and neither scoring in the first quarter. After a nine-play drive by the Arawaks stalled to start the game, the Chickenhawks went on their own 13-play drive - but it would end the same way.

On first-and-goal on the Arawaks' 2-yard line Hansen was picked off in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter when Johanon Edmeade ripped the ball away from Richardson and kept the game scoreless.

It wasn't a pretty second quarter for CAHS. After that pick, Hansen threw two more on the next two drives.

Each of Charlotte Amalie's next two second-quarter drives ended on the second play thanks to the Arawak's Rosey making two leaping picks from his free safety spot - the first of which led to the game's first points.

Rosey picked off Hansen at the CAHS 30-yard line and three plays later the Arawaks took the lead when Richardson ran in 13 yards for the score with 3:26 left in the half.

CAHS regrouped at the half and tie it up on the opening possession of the second half. The 7-play, 78-yard drive was capped off by a two-yard touchdown run from Devin Pruitt.

With 7:16 left in the third the Chickenhawks tied it at six, but five minutes later the Arawaks would answer.

On their ensuing drive St. Thomas private schools had a stroke of luck when two big fumble recoveries led to a touchdown. The Arawaks' Staton Mayfield recovered a muffed punt to give his squad the ball back on the CAHS 24-yard line, but then fumbled on a goal line run four plays later.

As he was heading in for the score the ball popped out, but luckily teammate Ryan Berry was there to recover and give the Arawaks the lead. Richardson ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-6 with 2:02 left in the third.

The Chickenhawks tied the game with just 5:12 to play when Hansen completed four straight passes, the last of which went to Wadsworth for an eight-yard touchdown. Pruitt ran in the two-point conversion and then the wild finish ensued.

For the Arawaks, Richardson had 102 of the team's 214 rushing yards - and a score - on 12 carries. Gray had five tackles and Rosey had four to go with two picks.

For CAHS, Hansen went 11-of-20 for 153 yards, two scores and three picks. Wadsworth had four receptions for 57 yards and two scores. Peterson had a game-high 10 tackles.

CAHS had just 57 yards rushing, while the Arawaks had just 62 yards passing in a contrast of two styles of play.

CAHS will face Educational Complex this Saturday on St. Croix, then again in the territorial championship on Nov. 14.

- Contact reporter Chris Walsh at 774-8772 ext. 310 or e-mail cwalsh@dailynews.vi.