A freshman kicker and a 235-yard rushing performance weren't enough to put this one away early — Richardson needed every last second to escape Naaman Forest 24-23 on Thursday night, with Emmanuel Chavez splitting the uprights from 19 yards out as the clock hit zero.
The Eagles trailed for much of the second half despite another dominant outing from senior running back Kingstin McAdams, who followed up a 200-yard debut in Week 1 with 235 yards and two touchdowns against the Rangers. His three-yard scoring run in the third quarter gave Richardson a 14-10 lead, but Naaman Forest had an answer.
TCU commit Braylon Deal, who lines up at receiver for the Rangers but took snaps at quarterback, turned a near-sack into one of the more memorable plays of the young season. Somehow slipping free from pressure, Deal heaved the ball 50 yards downfield to Trevion Dizer for the go-ahead score, putting Naaman Forest up 17-14. The Rangers eventually pushed the lead to 23-21 with three seconds remaining.
That's when Chavez, a freshman, trotted onto the field and calmly converted the game-winner. The Rangers' defense had forced six turnovers on the night — including a tipped pass by Ire Okundae that Jamier Mitchell returned for an interception, helping Naaman Forest jump out to a 10-0 lead — but it wasn't enough to hold off Richardson in the end.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace, a former Richardson standout, was in attendance to watch his alma mater survive the scare.
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