By Bill Sorrell

BOX SCORE

Nitroglycerine tablets are now on sale at the Fargason Field concession stand. For the third time this season, Rhodes pulled out a heart-pounding victory in the waning seconds. “I wish this could be easier. This is going to be the end of me,” said Rhodes football coach Joe White after the Lynx scored 12 points in the final 3:21, including the winning touchdown on a 25-yard run by Charles Hoggard with 55 seconds left to lift the Lynx to a 26-22 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, homecoming victory on Saturday. A week ago, Chris Catalanotto kicked a 31-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining to give Rhodes a 30-29 win over Colorado College. Earlier this season, Catalanotto kicked a 31-yard field goal with 22 seconds left as Rhodes beat Birmingham Southern. “If he (White) ever gets to speak at a coach's clinic, he'll speak on the two-minute drill. This is not a fluke. He's done it so much in his 11 years here,” said Rhodes athletic director Mike Clary. Said White, “They are just playing their hearts and guts out and finding a will to win.” Rhodes (5-2, 3-1 in the SCAC) began its game-winning drives when running back Ty Lake ran 40 yards to the Rhodes 49 with 6:41 left. Later freshman quarterback Matt Ungashick, in for senior QB Mark Oliver who has a knee injury, threw a 10-yard pass to Justin Sealand setting up a fourth down and two. Hoggard then raced for a first down before Ungashick hit Sealand with a 36-yard pass to the 4-yard line. Lake then scored on a 4-yard run. A two-point conversion attempt to tie the game, at 22, failed. “The thing I'm most proud of is they did a real good job believing. They had great faith, especially after not getting the two-point conversion. The defense got the stop. We got the ball back and they did a great job in a clutch situation,” said White. Facing fourth and seven at their 40-yard line, the Kangaroos (4-4, 2-2 in the SCAC) were forced to punt. Rhodes then drove 74 yards for the touchdown.
Ungashick hit Sealand, who was the game's leading receiver with 132 yards on seven receptions, for a 10-yard gain. After Hoggard's 13-yard run, Ungashick completed two passes, a 14-yard to Brad Muller, and a 10-yarder to Bryn Meredith. “That play that Bryn made was unbelievable,” said White, who also praised the poise of Ungashick. “That was an unbelievable catch.” Hoggard, who rushed for a game-high 130 yards on 24 carries, then roared through the Austin defense for his second TD of the day. Hoggard's 26 carries last week was a career-high. His first touchdown, a 21-yarder with 46 seconds left in the first quarter, gave the Lynx a 7-0 lead. Rhodes defensive back Tom Oliver had recovered a fumble with 14:48 left in the first quarter. Austin took a 19-7 halftime lead on touchdown runs by Ryan Cowley (6 yards) and quarterback Kent Bell (11 yards) before Nick Zitaglio recovered a fumble and raced 85 yards for a touchdown. Lake's 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter was the spark the Lynx, playing an option team for the first time this season, needed as they closed to within 19-14. “Putting points on the board in the second half was huge,” said Sealand. White called Sealand's performance “excellent.” “He's been doing a great job. He's a senior playmaker and does what he has to do to help us.” “It's a sick feeling,” said Austin coach Ronnie Gage, whose team had won three straight. “There's no fault in their effort, we faltered in the second half. They weren't doing a whole lot different. We played well to win until the final tick off the clock. We were playing with a lot of confidence coming in.” Confidence has been key for Rhodes. “The confidence is definitely there,” said Lake. “Matt (Ungashick) asked me, 'Ty what's my record in the fourth quarter?' I said, '1-0.' He said, 'Let's do it again.'” We're a senior-laden team and have built a reputation for winning games late. We'd like to beat people by 30 or 40 points.” Sealand said, “It was intense. Our team has got a lot of will power. We don't quit. We knew we were going to win before it happened.” Said Rhodes linebacker Alex Foti, “We just didn't stop believing