Myers Park rallies to defeat Butler 28-24 in 4AA playoffs

Josh Curry’s 45-yard kickoff return set up the winning score Friday night as Myers Park rallied for a 28-24 second-round 4AA victory over host Butler.

Curry’s return came moments after Butler’s T.J. Cusick had given his team the lead on a 62-yard punt return.

Curry picked up a squib kick near the Mustangs’ 25 and raced down the left sideline before being pushed out of bounds at the Butler 31. Four players later, Myers Park quarterback Brayden Hawkins dived 1 yard into the end zone.

The Mustangs, ranked No. 6 in the Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, then held Butler on downs, ran out the clock, and celebrated on the sidelines with their fans. The victory was especially sweet for Myers Park as it came against their Southwestern 4A rival – and an opponent that has accounted for two of the Mustangs’ three football losses in the past two seasons.

The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter.

The period opened with Myers Park up 14-10, but Butler took the lead on a 51-yard pass from Christian Peters to Keyon Lesane. Myers Park then went in front on a 12-yard pass from Hawkins to Muhsin Muhammad.

Cusick then had the individual play of the night, taking a Myers Park punt at the Bulldog 38 and going the distance for a touchdown. He evaded at least a half-dozen Myers Park defenders en route to the score.

The first half was defined by one long pass completion and a series of misplays on punts.

Butler’s first touchdown, a short run by Nijere Peoples, was set up by a partial block of a Myers Park punt. A 66-yard pass from Peters to Lesane set up the second Bulldogs score, a 32-yard field goal by Alex Harrell.

Myers Park’s first touchdown followed a bad snap on a Butler punt. The Mustangs’ second score came on a 42-yard pass from Hawkins to Emanuel Alston.

Records: Myers Park is 12-1; Butler finished 8-3.

3 who mattered

Brayden Hawkins (Myers Park): He completed 17 of 28 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Muhsin Muhammad (Myers Park): The Mustangs’ standout sophomore receiver caught five passes for 54 yards and had two long kickoff returns.

T.J. Cusick (Butler): His 62-yard punt return in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter was a thing of beauty, putting Butler ahead 24-21.

Observations

▪ T.J. Cusick’s first punt went only 15 yards, but it might have been his best play of the night. The ball was snapped over his head at the 35, and Cusick finally caught up with the ball near the goal line. He scrambled to his right and managed to get off a rugby-style kick.

▪ Brayden Hawkins managed an excellent game for Myers Park, throwing mostly short passes but connecting on several long tosses. Butler had held him in check in the teams’ first meeting this season.

▪ Butler’s Nijere Peoples was held in check by Myers Park, as he rushed 15 times for only 40 yards in his final high school game. But Peoples had three sacks from his linebacker position.

▪ Myers Park held Butler to 1 yard rushing in the second half. Myers Park totaled 205 yards offense, and Butler had 166 yards.

Worth mentioning

▪ In the teams’ Oct. 6 meeting, won by Butler 28-7, the Bulldogs outgained Myers Park 283-88 in the second half – after Myers Park had dominated the first half but led only 7-0.

▪ Butler was among a small number of schools still alive in the playoffs Friday night that was playing for the 11th time this season. While most schools had an 11-game regular season, Butler was unable to find an opponent for a late-August date and played 10 times. And the Bulldogs had a first-round playoff bye last week. Most schools playing Friday were on the field for the 12th time.

What’s next?

Myers Park will be home next Friday against Hough.

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Myers Park rallies to defeat Butler 28-24 in 4AA playoffs."