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Chelsea's Chase Stracener scored the game-winning touchdown with just more than a minute left in a 15-14 win over Wetumpka to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2016. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By SARAH TURNER | Special to the Reporter

CHELSEA – With time ticking away and the game on the line on fourth-and-goal inside the 5-yard line, Chase Stracener made the play of the game to help lead the Chelsea Hornets to their first 2-0 start since the 2016 season.

Trailing 14-9 after a slow offensive night, Stracener took the ball out of the backfield, powered through the line and plunged across the goal line with 1:27 left to give the Hornets a 15-14 lead.

From there, the defense took over and put together one final stop in the final minute to cap off an impressive showing and one-point win.

“I’m just so proud of our guys for continuing to fight, continuing to work, continuing to look for that extra inch,” Chelsea coach Todd Cassity said.

Both teams brought 1-0 records into the 6A clash, with Chelsea earning a win against Mobile Christian at home and Wetumpka edging out Beauregard in week one.

The Indians deferred the coin toss, and began the game by kicking off to the Hornets. After a wild fumble by Chelsea, Wetumpka recovered the ball and turned it into points quickly with a touchdown on their first offensive play of the game.

With the Indians bringing the score to a quick 7-0, Chelsea then got possession of the ball, and senior quarterback Miller Bauman threw a deep ball into pressure. Wetumpka center back Justin Godwin came up with the ball for an interception on the first play of the drive.

After a few short completions, Wetumpka made its way down the field, delivering a huge conversion on fourth down after a 26-yard carry by fullback Jimmy King.

With just more than two minutes left to play in the first quarter, Wetumpka quarterback Tyler Johnson completed a 33-yard pass to freshman tailback Jordan Hill. However, the Hornets’ defense held on, and took possession back to open up the second quarter.

Wetumpka’s defense, however, stepped up with another big interception, picking off Bauman for a pick-six to put the Indians on top 14-0.

From there, however, the quarterback settled in, the offense found a steady rhythm and Chelsea’s defense continued an impressive night.

Later in the half, the Hornets steadily marched their way down field. A breakthrough finally came in the form of a catch and some shifty dodges from CJ Durbin resulting in Chelsea’s first points of the night midway through the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 14-7.

A few minutes later, the stiff Hornets’ defense came up with a safety, cutting even further into Wetumpka’s lead now at 14-9, which became the halftime score.

The tides began to turn for Chelsea to start the second half, and Wetumpka felt the sting of the Hornets’ defense early, recording a three-and-out on the first drive.

That became the story of the second half, as both teams traded strong defensive showings.

After the Chelsea offense was forced to punt it away, Wetumpka got the ball back with less than six minutes left in the third quarter hoping to add to the lead, but Ethan Prickett secured a big sack on third down to keep the Indians from extending the advantage.

Once the Hornets regained possession of the ball, they almost exclusively utilized their rushing attack for the remainder of the game.

It started to wear down the Indians’ defense, but still took time as the teams continued trading defensive stands.

Eventually, however, the Chelsea defense answered again with an interception from safety Sam Parrish late in the fourth quarter, which became the momentum shift the Hornets’ needed.

The offense quickly made its way back out onto the field, now playing with a sense of urgency.

After a crucial conversion on fourth down, another completion helped Chelsea inch closer and closer to the end zone, getting all the way inside the Wetumpka 5-yard line.

Stracener finally punched it in to take their first lead of the game with 1:27 left to play.

The Hornets’ defense continued to shine as linebacker Sam Trout quickly sacked Johnson on Wetumpka’s first play of the final drive.

Johnson made one last ditch effort with a hefty pass downfield, but came up short with an incompletion.

Chelsea then took over on downs and ran out the clock, ending with a final score of 15-14 and moving to 2-0 on the year.

Stracener finished with 98 yards and a touchdown off 23 carries. Durbin had two carries for 45 yards and a touchdown as well as three catches for 18 yards.

Next week, Pelham will play host to Chelsea to open up region play.

“We’re not really worried about 2-0 at that point, we want to go 1-0 in the region,” Cassity said.

Stats provided by Mark McLaughlin

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