In a sensational finish that left fans from both sides of the bleachers speechless on Oct. 31 in Firth, Nebraska, the Gretna Dragons pulled off a miracle Hail Mary and two-point conversion to defeat the Norris Titans 46-45 in the first round of the Class B state football playoffs.. Gretna, ranked tenth in Class B, came into a match-up as the underdogs to the sixth-ranked Norris. But the Dragons left the field as the team to watch in the upcoming playoff rounds.
Gretna started strong with a slim lead of 21-17 at the end of the first half, playing for their team’s mantra of “empty the tank.” Norris ended up storming back to end the third quarter with a 31-28 lead. With just one minute left in the game, the Dragons were trailing 35-45, and hope was dwindling.
Then came the miracle of the game. A field goal cut the lead to one score, and an onside kick bounced off a Norris player’s leg with Gretna recovering the ball. With 7.5 seconds left on the clock, senior quarterback Michael Knudsen launched a Hail Mary pass to the end zone where junior Henry Hildebrand leaped up and came down with the ball, showing that the Dragons weren’t quite done yet.
On the last play of the game, Knudsen connected with Hildebrand again for the two-point conversion and secured the win.
Knudsen said that this moment was so important to him as his last year apart of Gretna football and the excitement that surrounded the moment rendered him speechless.
“After the field goal, hope rose on the sideline and on the field,” Knudsen said. “At the end there were just a lot of happy memories and emotions and it’s exciting to be able to have another week with the team.”
Hildebrand, number 18, who made the play, had one thing in his mind on that last drive, and that was his faith in the team and the coaches. When he made the touchdown catch, he said he knew that this game was in their hands and that they could do it.
“The crowd’s reactions made me feel that small hometown feeling where you know everybody came to support you,” Hildebrand said. “The atmosphere was something I have never experienced before, and it was amazing.”
Head Coach Joe Dalton said he couldn’t have been prouder of his team for emptying their tanks and taking it to the next level. He said that this game reflected everything he and his team have been working for all season.
“We were on the field for a while, and sometimes that stinks when it’s a long bus ride home,” Dalton said. “But that night I would have stayed on that field forever.”
The Dragons plays York at 4 p.m. today at home.
