MINDEN - And now it is done. The improbable comeback that almost was. It seemed for a while that only the utterly implausible, the inexpressibly fantastic would be possible at Keith Roman Field.
But after almost overcoming a 14-point deficit in the final two minutes, 25 seconds, Douglas is now left with picking up the pieces after a 21-14 homecoming loss to Hug on Friday night.
In winning Harrah's Bowl VII, Hug (5-1, 2-0) ended a five-year losing streak against Douglas and strengthened its playoff chances. Meanwhile, the Tigers (2-4, 0-2) saw their playoff hopes take a huge hit.
"We're probably down to our last three games," said Douglas quarterback Jared Kenison, who completed 15-of-26 passes for 199 yards in almost leading the Tigers to a miracle finish.
"We've put in all the work over the summer. We've done everything. It just seems that we can't do it out here."
Kenison, though, isn't resigned to missing the playoffs, just yet.
"We hope to win the next three if we can. "If we can, hopefully we can get a playoff berth. If we don't, we tried."
The stirring comeback began when Kenison hit Gabe Hatchett on a middle screen and Hatchett did the rest, going 75 yards for the touchdown with 2:25 left. Andrew Andrews kicked the extra point to make it 21-14.
Jason Porterfield then recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Hug 47-yard line. A 12-yard pass to Hatchett and a 6-yard pass to Eric Olson put Douglas in business.
On fourth-and-two at the 27, Drew Hall picked up the two yards for the first down to keep the drive alive. A 12-yard pass to Olson down to the 13 followed.
On fourth-and-four at the eight with time running out and unable to huddle, Kenison yelled out the play that Douglas scored on, a middle screen to Hatchett, who was tackled for a 4-yard loss, ending the Tigers' hopes.
"They knew what was coming," Kenison said. "The end peeled off and went with Gabe. I never once thought we were going to lose. I had total confidence."
"They sniffed it out," Douglas Coach Mike Rippee said about the final play. "There's a lot if we could take it back."
But Rippee also said he went with the play he though would work at the time.
A punt that deflected off of a Tiger player and was recovered by Hug at the Douglas 26 set up the Hawks' first score. Antoine Barlow scored on a 3-yard run for Hug.
Douglas came back in the second quarter on Monte McCann's 5-yard TD run. Andrews added the extra point to tie the score 7-7.
The Tigers looked like they had a drive going at the end of the half when Kenison completed an 18-yard pass to Jordan Ovard, but the threat was stopped by an interception and the score remained 7-7 at halftime.
Hug took control in the third quarter on a 1-yard sneak for a TD by Marco Bisio and Bakari Taylor's 27-yard scoring run to take a 21-7 lead.
McCann rushed for 91 yards on 17 carries. Hatchett caught seven passes for 111 yards and Olson had five receptions for 73 yards.