A cornered animal is always a dangerous one and the Oxford Wildcats now have their backs against a wall in an effort to win a Flint Metro League title and a trip to the state playoffs.
Lapeer West pulled off a 21-14 last-minute victory over the Wildcats on Friday to knock Oxford out of a first-place tie with Linden and even the team’s record at 3-3 overall and 3-1 in league play.
Oxford has three remaining games and must win all to guarantee a berth in the state playoffs and at least a share of the league title. The Wildcats will host Lapeer East on Friday at 7 p.m. The team will then host Linden followed by a trip to Fenton for the final regular season game.
West and Oxford appeared headed to overtime following a fourth-quarter comeback by the Panthers in which they scored a TD and a two-point conversion with 6:58 left. But West’s Keenan Prince returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown with only 20 seconds remaining to stun the Wildcats.
Oxford struck first in the game, with the opening score coming on a 19-yard TD strike from Billy Keenist to Brad Grunewald with 6:39 left before halftime. Zach Wasylyna converted the first of his two conversions and the Wildcats held a 7-0 lead.
West then took the ensuing kickoff and put together its best drive of the game. John Sherry scored from one-yard out to get the Panthers on the board. West missed the extra point and Oxford took a 7-6 lead.
The Panthers nearly scored again before halftime after recovering the kickoff but Sergio Schlak intercepted a pass in the end zone to end the threat with 30 seconds left before halftime.
The first half was a defensive struggle with West managing only 106 total yards and Oxford 85.
The defensive fight continued in the third quarter. The only score in the stanza came as time expired when Oxford’s Chris Harper returned a West punt 78 yards for a score.
In the fourth quarter, West tied the game with 6:38 left on a 16-yard pass from Sherry to Jake Adams. Ryan Schoenherr then passed to Brad Richmond for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 14.
The score was set up by a questionable pass interference call against Oxford that came on a throw by West QB Sherry that was far out of bounds and not catchable. The penalty put the ball on Oxford’s 16 yard line and the Panthers scored on the next play.
Oxford finished with 154 total yards, including 85 on the ground. Keenist completed five of 10 passes for 79 yards and the touchdown.
West finished with 220 total yards.