NEW BETHLEHEM — Redbank Valley kicker Zane Watson came through in the clutch, hitting a 39-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the game to propel the Bulldogs to a 29-26 victory over Moniteau Friday night.

Watson lined up on the left hash and drilled the kick, splitting the uprights for the game-winning score.

“I’m not exaggerating, (Watson) can make field goals from 50 yards in practice,” Redbank Valley coach Ed Wasilowski said. “Before the play I told him it was a chip shot and he gave me the thumbs up. I knew if we could do everything else right he’d get the job done.”

The Bulldogs opened the decisive drive at their own 31 after a Moniteau punt. With less than two minutes remaining, quarterback Jake Dougherty ran for 18 yards on the first play of the drive to get the ball near midfield. He then showed off his arm, hitting receiver Quentin Brocious for a 15-yard gain and found Kyle Schrecengost over the middle of the field for a 12-yard pass that set up Watson’s kick.

Before the game-winning field goal, Moniteau had an exciting play of its own.

Trailing 26-18 with just over five minutes remaining in the game, the Warriors turned to a trick play and it worked to perfection.

Quarterback Cody Skiver threw a backward pass out to receiver Trevor Shaffer, who then fired the ball downfield to a wide-open Cody Keene for a 24-yard touchdown pass. Skiver hit Dustin Geagan with a pass for the two-point conversion to tie the game with 5:21 remaining.

“We put in a new formation at practice this week and one of the kids said we should run a double pass out of it,” Moniteau head coach Cecil Blauser said. “They were cheating up on our screen play so we gambled a little bit and it paid off.”

Moniteau opened the scoring when Dougherty fumbled a snap on a punt near the goal line and was tackled in the end zone by several Warriors.

The Warriors added to that lead late in the first quarter when Skiver found a wide-open Austin Blauser off a play fake for a 30-yard touchdown pass. A Dustin Best extra point put Moniteau up 9-0.

“We’ve been working with (Skiver) in practice,” Blauser said. “He’s only a junior and he’s learning. He played great tonight.”

Skiver completed 9-of-14 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Redbank Valley got on the board in the second quarter when running back Mark Strothers took the first play of a possession and busted though the Warriors’ defense for a 29-yard touchdown run.

Josh McBride returned the ensuing kickoff to the Warriors’ 42. Moniteau marched down the field from there, but Skiver was intercepted by Wyatt Hetrick at the 2-yard line on a first-and-goal from the 10.

The Warriors’ defense didn’t hang their heads though as they were able to tackle Strothers in the end zone for the team’s second safety of the night.

Wyatt Ifft returned the free kick to the Bulldogs 36 and it took one play from there as Skiver found Geagan with a touchdown pass to increase the Warriors lead to 18-6.

Redbank Valley got an 11-yard TD run from Dougherty to finish off a six-play drive late in the second quarter to make the halftime score 18-12.

The Warriors looked to get a big turnover in the third quarter when Brocious fumbled after making a catch, but a roughing the passer penalty negated the turnover.

The Bulldogs capitalized on the penalty as Strothers broke a couple of tackles and found the end zone, this time from 53 yards out, and gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the night at 19-18.

Strothers had 195 yards on 23 carries.

After each team punted, Moniteau found itself starting a drive at their own 9, but quickly got out of that hole when, on the first play of the possession, Stephen Hagg raced up the sideline for 41 yards out to midfield. The Warriors moved methodically from there deep into Bulldog territory, but consecutive sacks and a block in the back penalty forced a fourth-and-goal from their own 40 and they failed to convert.

The Bulldogs took over and moved the ball down the field in eight plays and scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass by Dougherty to Schrecengost on fourth-and-goal to put them ahead 26-18.

Penalties hurt the Warriors, especially in the third quarter when they had four for a total of 43 yards.

The loss was a tough one for Moniteau, but Blauser feels they are getting close.

“The kids haven’t quit,” Blauser said. “They played hard until the final play tonight.”