LITTLE RIVER-ACADEMY -- Senior quarterback Kollin Mraz scrambled toward the right sideline and then back to the middle of the field before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Alex Lawton in the front-right corner of the end zone with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Academy Bumblebees to a dramatic 45-42 homecoming victory over McGregor on Friday night at John Glover Stadium.
Rebounding from a district-opening 41-27 loss at Lorena a week earlier in their first defeat after a 4-0 start, Academy improved to 5-1 overall and 1-1 in District 11-3A Division I. McGregor (3-3, 1-1) saw its three-game winning streak end.
Academy trailed by 11 points on two occasions in the fourth quarter but clawed back with two long touchdowns: Darion Franklin's 98-yard kickoff return and Jaylin McWilliams' 65-yard reception from Mraz, who started at quarterback in place of injured senior standout Jerry Cephus after Cephus was injured against Lorena.
Mraz, a senior who played wide receiver before his need-based switch to QB, passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns for the Bees.
Academy and McGregor now are part of a five-way tie for second place in 11-3A-I at 1-1 along with Cameron Yoe, Rockdale and Lorena. Troy is 1-0 and Caldwell is 0-1. First-year head coach Chris Lancaster's Bees travel to Cameron next Friday to play Yoe at 7:30 p.m.