With 57 seconds left in Bradenton, The St. James led IMG Academy 42-41, and the No. 3 team in the country was one stop away from its first loss.
Osani Gayles took the ensuing kickoff back 60 yards, deep into St. James territory, and Zach Brien won it with a 47-yard field goal in the final seconds, according to MaxPreps and USA TODAY's Alex Martin. No. 3 IMG Academy 44, No. 92 The St. James 42.
The Strivers came to win
The St. James scored first, on a run-pass option that went for a long touchdown in the first quarter, Martin reported. IMG stalled in the red zone twice and settled for two field goals, and the Strivers led 7-6 after one quarter.
Quarterback Kash Carter made the play of the half. He pump-faked, dropped his arm to the side and found a receiver wide open for a 66-yard touchdown that put The St. James up 21-13 with 6:04 left in the second quarter, Martin reported. Gayles, the Alabama commit, answered on a fade to make it 21-20, and that was the halftime score.
The Strivers came out of the break and went up 28-20, converting a third-and-13 on the way.
How IMG turned it
IMG quarterback Jayden Wade tied it 28-28 on a run with 4:58 left in the third quarter, and Gayles ran in the two-point conversion on a reverse, Martin reported. By the end of the quarter, IMG led 35-28.
The second half turned on turnovers. Censere Gaylord intercepted Carter twice and returned one 99 yards for a touchdown, MaxPreps reported, and Martin counted three second-half interceptions by the time Wade's touchdown pass made it 41-28 with 10:16 left.
The St. James would not go away
Carter hit Camden Simmons on a catch-and-run touchdown with 7:41 left to make it 41-35. The St. James got the ball back, drove into IMG territory with three minutes left and ran its way to the go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds to play. "A second year academy is under a minute away from a MONUMENTAL upset," Martin posted.
It was not, because the kickoff went to Gayles.
What it means
Wade threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, and Gayles caught two of them, MaxPreps reported. IMG is 6-0 and has scored 307 points this season. Before Saturday, its closest game was a 21-point win, 48-27 at The First Academy. IMG visits New Palestine next Friday.
The St. James is 4-1 after its first loss. It went on the road to Florida, led the No. 3 team in the country in the final minute and lost by two points.
