By Caleb Adams

The Orange Leader

SPLENDORA — The Bridge City Cardinals beat the Center Roughriders in the first round of the Class 4A Division I bi-district playoffs 35-28 in a thriller of a game that came down to the last play of the night Friday at Splendora High School.

The game went down to the wire and delivered in every way you could possibly think in Texas Friday Night Lights.

The District 10-4A champion Cardinals (8-2) rushed for over 430 yards as a team. The rushing leader for the Cardinals was running back Patrick Morris, who finished with 226 yards and three touchdowns on the night.

The Cardinals will now move on to face the Bay City Black Cats (7-4) in the area round next week.

Bay City defeated Houston Yates 55-28 Friday night.

It was Bridge City’s first playoff win since 2005 when the Cardinals defeated Jasper 23-0.

Center got one last shot to score needing 80 yards for the end zone. Parks drops back and hits his receiver Evans for 29 yards to set up a long Hail Mary pass. Parks dropped back and looked for Octavius Evans and hit him at the Cardinal 5, but he was dropped by the Cardinal defense.

With the clock dwindling down and the intensity in the stadium rising, the Cardinals went for it on a fourth-and-one play inside the Center 10. Who other than Morris would barrel ahead and not only get the first down, but the touchdown. Brown put the PAT through, making the score 35-28 Bridge City with 0:28 seconds left in the game.

Center (6-5) quarterback Kyle Parks made the game tough for Bridge City all night finding multiple holes for 91 rushing yards and threw for 255 yards. Octavious Evans was his number one receiver with 194 yards.