By BRIAN SHOEMAKER

Herald-Whig Sports Writer

PLEASANT HILL, Ill. -- The story didn't have the happy ending Pleasant Hill and its fans wanted, but there was enough excitement at Harris Franklin Field to make up for the team's decade-long playoff drought.

A last-second field goal attempt by Cody Clendenny from 36 yards out fell just short of the crossbar as the Wolves lost to the Greenfield-Northwestern 9-7 in Friday night's Class 1A first-round playoff game.

"I thought it looked good from where I was at, but I was on the sidelines," Pleasant Hill coach Mike Giles said. "I thought it was a great kick and a good opportunity. I wish it would've ended our way, it would've been a great ending."

A fairy-tale ending seemed to be writing itself by the way the Wolves moved the ball on their final drive.

Starting on their 32-yard line with just 37 seconds remaining, Dylan McKinnon connected with Noah Gregurich for a 19-yard reception followed by an 11-yard pass to Jayson Carlton.

A gutsy draw call for Keaton Baker added 18 more yards.

"We had two timeouts and I thought we'd get close enough for a field goal, with them playing for the pass," Giles said. "(McKinnon) said 'Let's do draw.' It ran perfect."

Pleasant Hill needed the quick drive to counter Greenfield's three-minute scoring drive that included a pair of pitches to Michael Bishop and Dakota Settles, something Tigers coach Dan Bowman hadn't pulled off the play sheet until the fourth quarter.

Bishop completed a 27-yard pass to Klayton Hubbard to get the Tigers within the red zone and set up Kyle Barrow with a 33-yard field goal to give Greenfield (7-3) the lead with 57 seconds remaining.

"The line started blocking and we had some good play calls. We were able to start running the ball," said Settles, who led Greenfield with 51 rushing yards on 11 carries.

Said Gregurich, "They kinda changed it up, Coach Bowman always have tricks up his sleeve. We tried to adjust. We made a stand and their kicker made a great kick."

Baker stopped Hubbard for a 2-yard loss on Greenfield's third down try, setting up Barrow for the game winning kick against a fierce westbound wind.

"I was watching that flag, it was blowing hard," said Barrow, who missed a potential game-kick against Carrollton in Week 5. "I had to redeem myself here."

The wind gave Greenfield's defense an increased burden, as the Wolves' average starting position was on their own 48-yard line.

A holding penalty and a fumble negated a 22- and 46-yard runs by Jacob Garrison, which could have set the Wolves up for first-half points.

"We definitely should've put the ball end the end zone," Gregurich said. "We should've put one in.

Said Giles, "If we could eliminate those mistakes, those have got us all year. We were moving the ball pretty effectively."

The Wolves took a 7-6 lead with 7:16 left in the game, when Pleasant Hill recovered a fumble by Hubbard at the Wolves' 17-yard line.

Gregurich punched in the score four plays later on a
8-yard touchdown run.

--sports@whig.com/221-3365

Despite the loss, the game was a turning point for a Wolves' program that had won just 20 games in the previous 10 seasons, including three winless seasons and a 5-4 record in 2007, when Pleasant Hill missed the playoffs.

"The feeling to play here is undescribable, I'm thankful for the opportunity," Gregurich said. "The week leading up to this the town got antsy. The town deserved this and we gave it everything we've got."