Black Diamonds rally from halftime deficit to defeat Hilldale

MUSKOGEE — In perhaps the most nerve-wracking game of the 2024 season for the Sallisaw Black Diamonds, they rallied from a 21-6 halftime deficit to sting the homestanding Hilldale Hornets 40-34 in double overtime.

The Black Diamonds (4-0 overall, 1-0 in District 4A-4 play) scored twice in the third quarter to cut their deficit to 21-20 going into the fourth quarter as Jackson Harris hit Cooper Cox on a 16-yard touchdown pass with a Cooper Jackson two-point conversion run as well as a 9-yard TD run by Harris.

After the Hornets (1-3, 0-1) kicked a field goal midway through the final period to up their lead to 24-20 with 5:36 remaining in the game, the Black Diamonds took 27-24 with just more than a minute to go in regulation on Tae Muskrat-Flynn’s 36-yard touchdown pass from Harris. Brian Castor kicked the extra point.

However, the Hornets connected on a field goal as the buzzer sounded to end regulation to knot the contest at 27-all to force overtime.

Each team scored in the first overtime, with Sallisaw’s score coming on a 3-yard TD run by Jackson, with a good PAT by Castor. The game went into the second OT with the game tied at 34-all.

After the Hornets missed a 22-yard field goal on the first possession of the second overtime, the Black Diamonds completed the comeback on Jackson’s second rushing TD of the game as he took it in from three yards out.

After the Hornets took a 14-0 lead at the 9:24 mark of the first quarter, the Black Diamonds scored their first touchdown on a 41-yard run by Cole Mayfield, but Castor’s extra point was blocked, to keep Sallisaw down 14-6 with 5:26 remaining in the period. Hilldale took a 21-6 lead into the second period — which ended up being a scoreless quarter.

The Black Diamonds will celebrate homecoming against Broken Bow at 7 p.m. this Friday at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium, which will be the first home game for the Black Diamonds since the Zero Week opener against Pryor on Aug. 30.