CARY – The Cary Imps were moving the ball across midfield, hoping a last-minute score would break a 14-all tie and give them the win over Holly Springs.

With about a minute left and the ball at the Holly Springs 48-yard line, Cary gave the ball to Ralph Chapman – their go-to running back who had totaled 153 yards and two touchdowns. But Chapman fumbled in the clutch, stripped by defensive lineman Tremayne Dennis.

Holly Springs linebacker Kent Burnette scooped up the loose ball and returned it 55 yards for the touchdown, giving the Golden Hawks a 21-14 lead with just 59 seconds left in the game.

"My teammates did what they had to do, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Burnette said. "I saw the ball and just took it to the house, baby."

Cary quarterback Nick Lansing fumbled on the next possession for Cary, once again around midfield, and the Golden Hawks held on to win back-to-back conference games for the first time in school history. Holly Springs also reached .500 for the first time as well.

"We finally made some breaks," Holly Springs coach Jim Hynus said. "Our goal is to make the playoffs and this gets us another step closer."

Just as Cary had defeated Apex last week on two late fourth-quarter turnovers, they were undone by the same mistakes in this game.

"We didn't give ourselves a chance to win the game and then even the score," Cary coach Ben Kolstad said. "Just untimely mistakes by us."

Before Chapman’s fumble, a long run by My’Shaun Fogg that would’ve put Cary within field goal range was called back on a crucial penalty.

"A needless block-in-the-back behind the play is a great example of what you should not do when the play is ahead of you," Kolstad said. "It just wasn't needed and it would've been a huge boost for our team and it just ends up hurting you. Undisciplined plays end up breaking your back in the end."

Ralph Chapman scored from one-yard out on Cary’s opening drive to make it 7-0 Cary in the first. In the second, the only score came on a screen pass from Holly Springs’ Mike Roach, which J.J. Graves took 24 yards in for the tying score. It was 7-all at halftime.

Roach posted his best passing game of the year, completing 6-of-12 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown in a run-heavy offense.

Chapman added his second touchdown of the night in the third, making it 14-7 Cary. Cary punter Will Gillfillan landed two punts inside the 5-yard line to keep things difficult for Holly Springs.

Graves, who ran for 73 yards – giving him 128 yards of total offense – punched in a run from eight yards out with little over seven minutes in the fourth to tie the game up at 14.

"Everybody's keying on him and we know that and he's still getting his yardage," Hynus said. "He's got the heart of a lion right now. He knows that a lot of resting on him and he's not shirking it. He's been a pleasure this year. He's really working hard and he's really pulled the team together."

The Golden Hawks, which also seized their first road win in school history, move to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Tri-Nine as they head into next week’s game against Panther Creek.

"I think the confidence is going to build extremely," Burnette, a senior, said. "We're going to go to our homecoming, a conference game against Panther Creek, and hope for a victory."

Cary drops to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference, and will travel to Green Hope next week.