MIAMI — Although the end result of Saturday's 48-40 loss at Trinity Valley in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference semifinals didn't turn out the way Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College head coach Clay Patterson anticipated, some good things for the team arose from the ashes.
Several NEO single season school records were set along with the fact that a solid foundation has been established for the return of winning football.
"We felt like we matched up well with them," Patterson said. "I think what people saw was a team (Trinity Valley) that has been in championship games before and know how to win a lot of big games.
"They overcame some turnovers and we able to pull it out even after we took the lead (30-27) to start the fourth quarter," Patterson said. "They showed why they've won four conference championships in a row while this was our first post-season game in a while."
With the loss the Golden Norsemen finish 5-5 on the season. The No. 5 ranked Cardinals (9-1) won their seventh straight game and will face No. 18 rated Kilgore College (6-3) at 3 p.m. Saturday in the SWJCFC Championship on Athens' Bruce Field.
Coach J.J. Eckert's Kilgore Rangers defeated No. 17 ranked Tyler Junior College (5-4) for the second straight week by a 58-51 margin. The week before the two nemesis played in Kilgore's St. John's Memorial Stadium and the Rangers posted a 50-29 victory over the Apaches.
"That was the telltale factor in the game was that you had one team that had played in the semifinals before, whereas the new guy (NEO) didn't have what it took to finish it off," Patterson said. "Our guys played hard for four full quarters, we just couldn't hold the lead.
During the first quarter, a 43-yard field goal by Dalton Witherspoon gave the Golden Norse a 3-0 lead on the first possession.
Sophomore running back Adam Berryman finished a 54-yard, six-play drive by the Cards with a 1-yard TD plunge. Caden Novikoff added the extra point for a 7-3 Trinity Valley lead at the 4:12 juncture.
Putting together their longest drive of the game, the Golden Norsemen covered 91 yards in seven plays to regain the lead with 0:57 left in the first quarter.
Quarterback Nick Johns, playing with a hip injury, tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antwan Woods. Witherspoon's PAT created a 9-7 Norse lead.
Two minutes into the second quarter the Cardinals began a 20-point outburst as wide out Jalen Guyton scored on a 28-yard TD pass from quarterback Michael Curtis. Novikoff missed the extra point attempt wide left as Trinity Valley held a 13-9 margin.
What proved to be the decisive play of the game occurred after NEO went 3-and-out on the next series.
Sophomore defensive back Michael Sam fielded a 43-yard punt by NEO's Riley Hathorn and darted and dashed en route to a 78-yard punt return for a TD. Novikoff kicked the extra point with 12:22 until halftime for a 20-9 Cards lead.
"That put them up two scores and then we were battling the two-score deficit all the way until the fourth quarter," Patterson said. "But there was a moment where they could have put us away, but we bounced back and went down and scored and kept it close at halftime.
"I was proud of our guys because they are taking steps to get this program on the right track," Patterson said. "They have laid a solid foundation for us to build on."
Another long drive by the Norsemen moved 76 yards in seven plays as wide out Brandon Prather snared a 4-yard touchdown pass at the 3:05 mark. Witherspoon's point-after forged a 20-16 deficit going into the locker room.
Less than two minutes into the third quarter Trinity Valley covered 49 yards in five plays before Cedric Battle caught a 3-yard TD pass from Curtis at the 11:59 point. Novikoff added the extra point for a 27-16 cushion.
With 3:11 remaining in the third quarter the Golden Norse took advantage of an end around play as wide out Kobe Bryer took the handoff from Cordale Grundy and scored on a 13-yard run. The PAT by Witherspoon rallied NEO to a 27-23 deficit.
Just before the end of the third quarter, TVCC's Curtis fumbled the ball after a 4-yard gain.
NEO defensive tackle Alton Robinson fell on the loose ball at the TVCC 42-yard line.
After a 21-yard pass from Grundy to Darwin Thompson, the Golden Norsemen grabbed the lead on a 7-yard TD pass from Grundy to Prather. Witherspoon's point-after created a precarious 30-27 Norse lead.
"Both our quarterbacks were struggling throwing the football," Patterson said. "We took Johns out because he lost his mobility because of the hip.
"As an offensive coordinator I had to go with the guy that could get us out of trouble," Patterson said. "Cordale was able to do that for the most part."
Over the next four minutes Trinity Valley received a 15-yard touchdown run by Khalil Banks and a 3-yard TD pass from Curtis to Dominic Thompson to open up a 41-30 cushion at the 11:48 juncture.
The Golden Norsemen put together another run as sophomore wide out Mike'Quan Deane caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Grundy with 10:56 left in the game. Witherspoon kicked the extra point for a 41-37 deficit.
Deane's TD was set up by a 90-yard kickoff return by Samuel Jackson Jr.
Following a 30-yard pass from Curtis to Anthony Turner, the Cardinals scored as Berryman crossed the goal line on a 6-yard run. The PAT by Novikoff with 5:59 left in the game created a 48-37 Trinity Valley lead.
With 1:20 showing on the clock, Witherspoon kicked a 22-yard field goal for the final score. The drive consisted of a 36-yard pass to Chase Nevel and runs of 18 and 12 yards by Grundy.
NEO defenders Lamont Huval and Jaylon George forced Curtis to fumble for the second time with 1:05 left in the game, but the Golden Norse could not reach the end zone as time expired.
Season records that were set by the Golden Norsemen include: most pass attempts, 306  by Nathaniel Johns (previous record was 283 by Clayton Mitchem in 2012); passes caught, Brandon Prather 58 (previous record was 51 by Dennis Jackson in 1967): most points by kicking, Dalton Witherspoon 92 — 41 of 42 extra points and 17 of 21 field goals — (previous record was 88 by Kevin King in 2012), and most field goals, 17 by Witherspoon (previous record 12 of 17 by both Jeremy Knott in 2007 and Mark Ritchey in 1982).