EDINBURGH — After four overtimes, the Edinburgh football team slipped past Switzerland County 46-45 for its first win of the season.
The Lancers, who won despite five turnovers, improved to 1-4 while the Pacers fell to 0-5.
Edinburgh senior running back Shane Smith scored on an 11-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. The Lancers failed to execute the point after, but still led 6-0.
Late in the second quarter, the Lancers were driving down the field when a fumble ended a promising drive.
The Pacers later recovered a fumble on their own 23-yard line with under a minute left in the first half. They then executed a hook-and-ladder play which resulted in a 68-yard gain down to the nine-yard line. They eventually punched it in for a 7-6 lead.
The Lancers ended the first half with a 75-yard kick return for a touchdown by junior Zach Smiley to take a 14-7 lead after a successful 2-point conversion.
Edinburgh started the second half off on the wrong foot by fumbling the opening kickoff.
“We made too many mistakes,” Edinburgh head coach Derrick Ball said. “We turned the ball over too much. But I thought we were resilient, and I’m proud of the way we fought.”
In all four overtimes, both teams scored on their possessions. But in the end, it came down to kicking an extra point.
The Lancers were led by Shane Smith, who rushed for 236 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 33 carries.
“We preached all this week about righting the ship,” Ball said. “This game was a step in the right direction, and I know this team is better than some of the outcomes we’ve had this year.”
