North Vermilion victory lands them in the football playoffs

LEROY—Last week, North Vermilion’s head coach Roderick Moy stressed to his team that the playoffs started this past Friday. His message was simple: “If we win, we are in.”
With only two wins before Friday’s game, the Patriots were on the bubble of the Division II Non-Select Power Standings. 
The top 28 teams make the playoffs, which begin in two weeks. The Patriots sat at No. 25.
North Vermilion won 24-20 against the Rayne Wolves.  The Patriots (3-6) moved up to No. 23 and will end the season on the road against St. Thomas More (6-3). 
“We had to have a win,” said Moy. “We figured beating Rayne at home would be easier than beatting St. Thomas More on the road.”
The Patriots needed all four quarters to beat the Wolves.
With around three minutes to play in the game, Preston Bagwell scored from the 1, putting the Patriots ahead 23-20. North Vermilion kicker Logan Blanchard made the extra point to put his team up 24-20.
Then Moy made a bold play call that would be the right one.
On the kickoff after the Bagwell TD, Blanchard, who has a strong leg,  received the play call from Coach Moy. The coach called for an onside kick, but the Patriots’ onside kick differs from most teams.
Blanchard’s task was to kick a line drive, hoping it would bounce off a Rayne defender.
Blanchard not only successfully did that, but he also recovered the onside kick at midfield.
The Patriots ran out the final three minutes of the game.
Coach Moy said he called for an onside kick for three reasons.
First, Rayne was not expecting it.
Second, if Rayne did recover the kick, the Wolves could hopefully go down quickly and score. The Patriots would get the ball back in the game’s final minute and have a chance to win it.
Thirdly, if the onside kick was successful, the Patriots win.
“Logan executed the kick perfectly,” said Moy.  “He had a heck of a game. He went 3-for-3 kicking extra points,  kicked a 34-yard field goal and recovered his onside kick. He had a great game.”
The Patriots held a 17-12 lead at halftime.
Preston Bagwell had a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Bagwell had 15 carries and rushed for 132 yards on the night.
Blanchard’s 34-yard field goal in the first quarter pushed NV’s lead to 10-0.
The Wolves took their first and only game lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Both teams had success running the football.
Rayne rushed for 245 yards, and NV rushed for 284 yards.
Grant Wise had nine carries for 48 yards, while Heath Aubrey had four for 76 yards.
NV quarterback James Higginbotham rushed six times for 25 yards. He also completed four out of eight passes for 69 yards.
With catches for NV were Owen LeBlanc (2-35), Heath Aubrey (1-24), and Brody Lambeck (1-10).