GAUTIER – In a high school football game that felt like a movie with the wild swings in momentum, it was the homestanding Gautier Gators who celebrated joyfully Friday after clinching the first state championship appearance in school history with a 37-35 win over the Brookhaven High Panthers.

Brookhaven High had a shot at a game winning field goal with one second remaining, but the kick went wide right, setting off the scene of jubilation for the Gators and their fans.

Gautier (12-1) moves on to face West Point (10-3) on Friday in Hattiesburg for the MHSAA 5A State Championship

The fact that Brookhaven High was even in the position to win the game was one of those Hollywood-like moments that dotted the night.

With two minutes remaining, Gautier was in the BHS redzone and the Panthers were out of timeouts and could not stop the clock from there on out. The Gators fumbled the ball on an attempted run to the outside though and the recovery by defensive end Derwin Field gave the Brookhaven High fans hope of a miracle comeback.

That hope was further buoyed when sophomore quarterback Jaden Allen led a mad-dash of a drive that found him hitting junior receiver Timmothy Smith on multiple gains as the Panthers got down to the Gator 5-yard line before the potential game winning kick after a Dreamus Harron Jr. reception.

The 5A South State appearance for Gautier was a third straight for the Gators, but the first time they have ever hosted the game.

For Brookhaven High, it was the first semifinal appearance since the 2010 season.

Brookhaven received the opening kickoff and saw Harron Jr. nearly return it to the house.

Junior EJ Ratliff took a reverse handoff and weaved through the Gautier defense to put BHS up 7-0 after just 62 seconds of game action.

Gautier later got a field goal in the first quarter to make the score 7-3.

The Gators are led by senior quarterback Trey Irving, named Mr. Football earlier this month by the MHSAA.

Early on, when it was obvious that Gautier was in a passing downs, the Panthers were able to pressure Irving and slow down the Gator offense.

GHS pulled ahead 10-7 when Irving hooked up with receiver Kainen Rush on a 35-yard touchdown pass that came within the first 30 seconds of the second quarter.

Another stalled offensive drive by the Panthers gave Gautier the ball back soon after that score and that’s when the Gators showed what they can do offensively.

Using a variety of crossing routes, quick throws to the boundary, and option runs by Irving, the GHS offense chipped its way down field on a possession that had the Panther defense gassed.

Irving perfectly pitched the ball to Latrell Pogue on what would go down as a 17-yard touchdown that put GHS up 17-7.

Getting the ball back with four minutes until halftime, the Brookhaven High offense put together  a masterful drive that ended with Allen hitting Smith on a 17-yard touchdown to make the score 17-14 at the break.

The Panthers came out of halftime with a jolt from its special teams unit, as the Gators fumbled on the opening kickoff of the third quarter. Junior Jeremy Bibbs got his hands on the return man to slow him down and senior Rameriaze Edwards recovered the fumbled ball.

Two plays later, junior running back Caiden Quarles scored on a touchdown run to put the Panthers back ahead 21-17.

Gautier was undaunted, as its offense had perhaps its best drive of the game after that BHS go-ahead touchdown,

The Gators stayed ahead of the chains and quickly moved down the field to go back up 24-21 when Latrell Pogue scored on a 25-yard rushing touchdown.

Momentum swung back towards Brookhaven High later in the third quarter when the Gators had a special teams miscue deep in their own territory.

A punt by Gautier hit one of the blockers up front and was recovered by Fields. With the ball on the 3-yard line, BHS needed just one play as junior offensive lineman Zack Richardson scored to put the Panthers up 28-24.

As they did all game, Gautier responded with a touchdown by Sebastian Gonzalez that came off a fumble. BHS defensive back Jamaal Brown forced a fumble at the 1-yard line, but Gonzalez alertly picked the ball up and speedily crossed the goal line to make the score 31-28 at the end of the third quarter.

Brookhaven High took the lead in the fourth quarter when Allen and Smith connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 10:36 remaining in the game to put BHS back up 35-31.

Facing third and goal from the BHS 12-yard line with 5:30 remaining in the fourth, Irving calmly stood in the pocket and delivered the game winning score, a ball that hit Rush in stride for a touchdown.

BHS blocked the PAT kick though, which made the score 37-35.

In the MHSAA 5A North State Championship, West Point defeated previously undefeated Cleveland Central 14-7.