The Drive of the Ages for Southern

18, 90, 10 sounds like meaningless numbers until you put them into context. For a football team trying to avenge an earlier defeat, fighting the flu, a player suspension those numbers come to mean so much more for Southern Columbia's football team.

Bloomsburg's Blake Rankin electrified the home crowd with a 38-yard scramble for a touchdown as time expired in the 3rd quarter pulling the Panthers within 21-6 and a possible possession or two left in the game.

To add to Southern's frustration, a knuckle ball kick bounce over the Tiger return man and he eventually was tackled at the 10. The start was first and ten at the 10-yard line. A quick three and out would have gave Rankin a chance to rally, momentum was on Bloomsburg's side.

The next time Bloomsburg would touch the ball there would be 1:49 left in the game and the Panthers would be staring at a 28-6 deficit and dashed district title hopes.

Southern went on an 18-play, 90-yard drive that would eat up the first 10:11 of the first quarter. High school teams would have a hard time with two 9-play drives or three, 6-play drives. College and professional teams would be envious.

From the News-Item, "It's one of the more impressive wins we've had, considering a good amount of our starters didn't practice all week," Roth said. "To come out and play this way is a tribute to their toughness and their courage to come out here and gut it out against a good team and turn around their fortunes from the first time.

Onward to Line Mountain.