Shock. Disbelief. Heartbreak.

Appropriate words for the unlikely end to River Bluff's  5A Division I Lower State playoff run on Friday night at Stratford High School.

The second round matchup between the seventh-seeded Gators and the No. 2 seed Stratford Knights was an epic battle, the kind of game that fits the ideal of the postseason. Even the ending, despite the soul-crushing impact it had on one team and its fanbase, was monumental.

An epic battle was not what was predicted by many experts coming into the contest, however. 

Stratford entered as champs of 5A Region 7, undefeated in region play, with a 9-1 overall record and ranked as the second-best team in the Division I lower state playoffs. They were considered a lock to defeat River Bluff, 6-5 overall and fourth in Region 4. 

Stratford was loaded with talent, including Division I college commits. River Bluff was young.

When Stratford's first drive came up empty and River Bluff scored a touchdown on their ensuing possession, the matchup on paper gave way to the matchup on the field.

The Gators' first score came on a six-yard Hayden Myers run a little over five minutes into the game. Stratford responded with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Maliq McGowan 3-yard touchdown run.

River Bluff scored again early in the second quarter after an 11-play, 65-yard drive was capped off on Myers' second touchdown, another six-yard run. The PAT was blocked, and the Gators had a tenuous 13-7 lead.

True to form, Stratford responded three minutes later, when quarterback Jachin Davis carried it in from 13 yards out. With the converted extra point, the Knights had their first lead of the game, 14-13.

Later in the second quarter, a botched snap on a Gators' punt forced punter Liam Flynn to boot the ball out of the back of the endzone to prevent a possible Stratford recovery and touchdown, giving the Knights a safety.

McGowan scored his second rushing touchdown for the Knights on Stratford's next possession, and then kicker Renzo Gorritti kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the half to increase Stratford's lead to 26-13.

River Bluff took the second-half opening kick and proceeded to march down the field in 17 plays, taking 8:40 off the clock, and scored on yet another Myers run to get within six, 26-20.

Stratford's next possession carried over into the fourth quarter and stalled at the River Bluff 17-yard line. Gorritti's 33-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, giving the Gators the ball, down six with 10:35 to go in the game.

Ten plays and 80 yards later, Myers scored his fourth touchdown on the night, giving the Gators back the lead 27-26 with 4:47 left in the game.

Flynn lost his footing on the ensuing kickoff, and the kick only skimmed down to the 26-yard line, where JQ Crosby fielded it and returned it to the Stratford 49. 

With a short field, the Knights were able to regain the lead three and a half minutes later when McGowan scored his third touchdown on an 8-yard run. McGowan would follow that by converting a two-point conversion carry to give Stratford a 34-27 lead with 2:18 remaining in the game.

Jyree Grady, who amassed 109 yards on four kickoff returns on the night for the Gators, nearly broke free for a touchdown on the subsequent kickoff, but was brought down at the River Bluff 40, giving the Gators 60 yards and 2:13 to retake the lead and possibly win the game.

It took 12 plays, a combination of passes from freshman quarterback Davis Taylor and runs from Myers, before Myers punched it in for his fifth touchdown of the game. 

Down 34-33, River Bluff head coach Perry Parks decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Myers was the obvious choice to get the carry, but instead, Taylor faked the handoff to Myers, sprinted around the left side, and dove into the endzone amid Knight defenders to give River Bluff the lead 35-34 and what would seem to be the win.

There were only 10.5 seconds left on the clock, enough for a kickoff and maybe a play or possibly two.

All game, the Gators displayed resilience and toughness. They also showed exuberance when Taylor crossed the goalline. The joy was understandable. Celebrating an exciting, hard-fought playoff upset win is to be expected. 

The moment the officials signaled the two-point conversion was good, the Gator bench cleared, sprinting toward the corner of the end zone where Taylor and the River Bluff offense were celebrating their success. Leaving their designated area of the sideline is not allowed by rule, though, and it prompted a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, which carries a 15-yard penalty. As a result, the Gators had to kick from their own 25-yard line instead of the 40.

McGowan fielded Flynn's kick at the Stratford 25 and brought it all the way back to the 50-yard line. The return took 5.8 seconds off the clock, leaving just 4.7 seconds and a prayer for Stratford.

The Gators dropped all but four players back in a prevent defense. Davis took the snap and danced around in the pocket, giving his receivers time to get down the field. The clock showed 0:00. The Stratford quarterback, a Liberty University commit, launched a bomb from the Knights' 40-yard line. The ball sailed high and long, reaching a mass of leaping players from both teams inside the two-yard line, and ended up in the outstretched hands of Knights receiver Crosby, who fell backward across the goalline. 

Stratford's Hail Mary actually worked, and the Knights emerged with the unlikeliest of victories.

Stratford players, coaches, and fans, who had seconds earlier felt the dejection of being unexpectedly ousted from the playoffs, were now ecstatic, while their counterparts from River Bluff sat stunned in disbelief, knowing the win had just slipped through their hands on a miracle play.

Both teams eventually left the field, having completed a postseason classic that will be remembered for a long time with a completely different set of emotions attached to it.

Myers finished the game with 216 yards and five touchdowns on 38 carries. Taylor went a respectable 14-for-22 for 139 yards and an interception. Noah Robinson led the Gator defense with 15 tackles (7 solos) and Caleb Renwrick snagged an interception of Stratford quarterback Jachin Davis.

McGowan carried the ball 32 times for the Knights, gaining 260 yards and three touchdowns. Davis passed for 132 yards, completing nine of 15 attempts. He also ran for 112 yards.

The loss ended River Bluff's season, but revealed a Gator team that displayed a tremendous amount of growth, grit, and character. The following morning, River Bluff Football posted this message on social media to its fans: The sun came up this morning, and we all woke up thankful for the great game of football. Thank you Gator nation!