Chester County quarterback Grayson Stewart points toward the defense after drawing Adamsville offside with a hard count Friday night. Stewart threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in the Eagles’ 28-27 win. Photo by Brittany Lewis
Chester County’s defense made one final stand Friday night to preserve a 28-27 win over Adamsville at Eagle Stadium.
The Cardinals reached the 2-yard line in the closing seconds, but the Eagles kept them out of the end zone on four straight plays to secure the victory.
“I’m just so proud of the kids,” Chester County coach Dewond Johnson said. “We were struggling with tight games. Our kids kept battling, and they kept being coachable. That was the biggest thing.”
Sophomore quarterback Grayson Stewart accounted for all four Chester County touchdowns, throwing for two and running for two.
Stewart connected with Jordan Hunt for the Eagles’ first score, tying the game at 7 late in the opening quarter. Adamsville went back ahead before Stewart scored on the ground with 6:23 remaining in the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
The Cardinals answered with another touchdown before the break and carried a 21-14 lead into halftime.
Stewart scored his second rushing touchdown in the third quarter, pulling Chester County even at 21.
Adamsville scored again in the fourth, but a missed extra point left the Cardinals ahead 27-21.
After a low snap left Chester County facing third-and-21, Stewart found his older brother, Heath, in the end zone for a touchdown. Brayden Harrison added the extra point to give the Eagles a 28-27 lead with 6:29 remaining.
Adamsville had one last opportunity and drove to the Chester County 2-yard line, but the Eagle defense refused to give up the lead.
“They stood up and made some plays,” Johnson said. “Our guys just kept fighting. That’s one thing we have been working on in our program—being tough. I saw it tonight.”
The finish brought some confusion. Officials stopped the clock with 2.4 seconds remaining for an official’s timeout. Adamsville had no timeouts left, and when the referee signaled for play to resume, the clock restarted and expired before the Cardinals could spike the ball.
Adamsville’s coaches and fans protested, believing time should have remained, but the officials declared the game over.
Johnson also praised Grayson Stewart’s continued growth.
“He’s getting better,” Johnson said. “He’s very coachable. He’s never too low or too high, and he’s doing a real good job leading the offense.”
Chester County improved to 2-0 and will host South Gibson next week.
