The Abilene Cowboys lost 28-27 in overtime Friday night at Wamego. It was the first overtime game since 2004 for the Cowboys. That season Abilene won in the opening round of the playoffs 41-40 at Wichita Collegiate.  The result wasn’t the same though Friday night as the Red Raiders converted on a two point conversion from Sophomore Running Back Adler Pierson to get the one point victory in what was the district opener for both schools.

For the third straight week things started badly for Abilene. Wamego’s Ty Cooper scored on an 80 yard kickoff return on the first play of the game to give the Red Raiders a 6-0 lead with 11:46 to go in the opening quarter.  The Cowboys  would get back in the game with special teams. Wamego had a poor snap on a punt attempt and Abilene was able to take over the ball at the Red Raider 13 yard line. Three plays later the Cowboys tied the game with on a Preston Boyd  13 yard touchdown reception from Quarterback Trevor Casteel with 11:54 to play in the half. Wamego would score the final points of the half on a Ty Cooper 10 yard touchdown reception from Quarterback Justin Ebert.  Ebert would add the two point conversion on a run to give the Red Raiders a 14-6 lead with 1:56 left before the intermission.

Abilene opened the second half with the football and scored on a Dominick Campbell 56 yard touchdown run to make the score 14-12 with 9:20 to play in the third quarter.  The Cowboys would then take their first lead on a Trey Hoerner 5 yard touchdown run on a 4th down play.  Casteel would add the two point conversion to give Abilene a 20-14 advantage with 1:15 left in the third quarter.

Abilene would struggle to protect the football in the fourth quarter.  The Cowboys had turned over the football 11 times in the previous two games and they would turn it over on their first three possessions of the fourth quarter.  The last turnover was a fumble by Hoerner that was recovered at the Red Raider 12 yard line with 4:05 to play.  Wamego would then go on a 12 play 88 yard drive that was capped by a Logan Ebert one yard run with 1:05 left in the game.  Wamego missed the extra point and the game went to overtime.

In overtime Abilene would score on a Dominque Campbell three yard run.  The Cowboys then got the extra point from Casteel to lead 27-20.  Wamego would answer with a trick play.  Receiver Ty Cooper would get the football and throw it back to Quarterback Justin Ebert for an eight yard pass play and then win it on the conversion. 

Abilene fell to 2-5, 1-4 with the loss while Wamego improved to 4-3, 3-2 with the victory.  The Cowboys will host Hays next Friday.  The Indians fell at home to McPherson 48-6.  Abilene lost last year at Hays 23-12 and is 1-2 in the last three years against the Indians.