OPELOUSAS - For much of the week, Westminster Christian Crusaders kicker Mac Proffitt had been dealing with a groin issue.
And while it was something to monitor as the week progressed, it became even more worrisome when he aggravated the injury during a kickoff in Thursday's game against parish rival Opelousas Catholic.
"My groin had been bothering me since Tuesday," Proffitt said. "It is something that I struggled with all week. Then on that kickoff, I kind of could tell something was wrong."
Nevertheless, if the opportunity presented itself for him to be needed for a big kick, Proffitt was determined to not allow the injury to hinder him.
"I have one job. I told my teammates, if my snapper and holder do their jobs, I'd do mine," Proffitt said. "If everybody did their job, we would win this game."
And Proffitt was right.
With the Crusaders trailing 22-21 with mere seconds remaining in the game, Proffitt nailed a 30-yard field goal to give Westminster a 24-22 win over the Vikings.
"This is the biggest win of the year for sure," Proffitt said. "Playing against a school that is right down the street from us and is a rival, it doesn't get any better than that."
Proffitt had two attempts at the game-winning kick after the first one appeared to be partially tipped and ultimately fell short of the goalpost. However, the Vikings were flagged for a disconcerting penalty due to members of the defense saying "go-go" and "hut-hut" to induce a false start by the Crusaders' offensive line.
"Our goal was to get in a range where he would be comfortable and his leg wouldn't be affected that much," Crusaders head coach Byron Porter said. "We felt comfortable with where we were on the first attempt and the penalty on them got us even closer for the second shot."
Proffitt's kick thwarted an impressive comeback by the Vikings, who overcame a 21-10 deficit with 5:20 remaining by scoring two touchdowns in three minutes and 49 seconds to take a 22-21 lead.
The first touchdown was a 73-yard pass on the first play of the drive from quarterback Kross Gillen to USC commit Roderick Tezeno to pull the Vikings within five at 21-16 with 5:05 remaining in the game.
After their defense forced a three and out to get Opelousas Catholic the football back, the Vikings went 59 yards in seven plays, scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 12-yard touchdown run by Royce Butler to take a 22-21 lead with 1:31 left in the fourth.
However, on the ensuing kickoff, the Crusaders' Damien Thomas fielded the football at the WCA 22-yard line and returned it 25 yards to the 47. But an unsportsmanlike penalty against the Vikings moved the football up 15 yards to the Vikings' 38 -yard line with 1:24 left on the clock.
A handful of plays later, and the Vikings moved into field goal range to setup Proffitt's game-winner.
"We had to develop some poise," Porter said. "We are always talking about having to overcome adversity and (Thursday) we had to overcome adversity. And our kids didn't flinch. We played solid in all three phases of the game."
Offensively, the Crusaders were led by Kyle Horde, Stephen George and Cayden Brown. Horde rushed for a game-high 154 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries; George finished with 72 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries; and Brown, who filled in admirably when Horde left the game late in the third quarter, recorded 46 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
"Kyle did great," Porter said. "He got a little banged up, but he ran really hard. He also played really well on defense. That's what we expect from him. I'm glad he's on our team."
In the losing effort, the Vikings were led by Butler, who finished with a team-high 147 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and Tezeno, who had three receptions for 107 yards and a score.
"It's a great win," Porter said. "We hadn't beaten them for a while and now we have beaten them in back-to-back years. It feels great."