When the Grain Valley players jogged off the field for halftime with a slim lead, Ethan Macoubrie talked with coach David Allie.

The senior, who is coming back from a fractured foot and playing in only his second game this year, told his coach he thought the fade would be there, if needed. Up to that point, the slant patterns were working for the Eagles against Class 4 No. 8-ranked Harrisonville, the defending state champion.

Allie told the 6-foot-4 senior receiver they would run the play once, just didn’t say when.

The coach held true to his word and Macoubrie delivered in a big way – hauling in a 12-yard touchdown pass as time expired on fourth down to vault the Eagles to a 15-13 upset.

“He said, ‘Coach, I can get them on the fade,‘” Allie said. “I said ‘I’ll throw it to you once, but if we missed, we are going back to slants and don’t ask me for fades anymore.’

“I guess I’ve got to throw the fades now,” he added with a chuckle.

Grain Valley (4-2, 2-0 MRVC West) led 9-7 going into the second half, but the second half turned into a game of field possession. The Eagles drove down to the Wildcats’ 20-yard line in the third quarter, but turned the ball over on downs.

Harrisonville drove to the Grain Valley 33 early in the fourth, but came up an inch short on fourth down with 7:37 left.

The Eagles then punted and pinned the Wildcats at the 2-yard line, but Harrisonville marched 98 yards on an 18-play drive that ate 6 minutes, 15 seconds off the board. Harrisonville converted six third downs and went ahead with 1:21 left when Ryan Boyd hit Jasper Davis on a 13-yard score.

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