SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Trailing by four points against McClatchy with just under six minutes remaining inside Hughes Stadium in Sacramento on Oct. 3, the Cordova Lancers didn't panic. 

They didn't panic when junior quarterback Trey Wallace had an 88-yard touchdown run called back on the Lancers' first play from scrimmage on their ensuing possession.

After all, flags were thrown against the Lancers all night: some justified, some not.

Wallace would then deliver two 30-plus yard completions to senior wide receivers Damajae Moses and Carnell Jones in back-to-back plays, setting up an eventual 10-yard go-ahead scoring run by junior running back Zachary McIntire with 4:36 remaining that would put the Lancers ahead for good.

Senior Carnell Jones returns a McClatchy kickoff for a long gain to midfield. Photo by Rick Sloan

On the Lions' final possession, Cordova sophomore linebacker Gino David would sack Lions' junior quarterback Josiah Hutchison on the McClatchy five-yard line, forcing the Lions to punt with 1:48 remaining, which sealed a nail-biting 34-32 victory for the Lancers in a big-time Metro League showdown.

The Lancers (3-3 overall, 1-1 Metro League) were largely carried to victory by Wallace, who went 8-of-18 passing for 132 yards through the air. It was his rushing output that made the biggest difference however, as he tallied 13 carries for 129 yards and a season-high four touchdowns. McIntire added nine carries for 61 yards, including the go-ahead score late to round out their offensive output. But for Lancers' head coach JP Dolliver, he was pleased with the effort he saw from the entire group throughout the entirety of the contest. 

"We were engaged in four full quarters of football and we haven't really done that all year long," Lancers' head coach JP Dolliver said afterward. "It's kind of been sporadic in all three phases of the game. We weren't clicking. Today we were. We started out strong right out the gate, and we needed it because that team (McClatchy) is a very strong and well-coached football team."

Senior free safety Damajae Moses brings down the McClatchy ball carrier in the back field for a big loss. Photo by Rick Sloan

The game was back and forth throughout, as the Lions (3-3 overall, 0-2 Metro League) were led by an impressive performance by their own junior quarterback. Hutchison finished 14-of-22 passing for 194 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Sophomore running back Robert Jackson III tallied 14 carries for 83 yards and a score. 

The second half of the contest was marred by penalties against the Lancers from the officials, including two 80-plus yard touchdown runs by Wallace that were wiped away. Spectators in the stands loudly voiced their displeasure against more than a handful of calls that appeared to be unwarranted. When asked about it after the game, Dolliver's message was simple.

"All I can say is we can't leave it in the hands of the officials," Dolliver said regarding the penalties in the second half. "We gotta play football that is lights out. When you give good teams any sunlight you leave the game open.

Obviously, there were big plays on their end (McClatchy) and I don't want to take away from those things because we made a lot of big mistakes."

Quarterback Trey Wallace goes into the end zone for a crucial two-point conversion. Photo by Rick Sloan

The Lancers earned the victory at the end of the night, however, their second in a row after losing their previous three games. Now with some much-needed momentum heading into their Homecoming game against Antelope on Oct. 10 inside Lancer Stadium with kickoff at 7 p.m., Cordova members are feeling good about their chances to make some noise down the stretch. 

"For our confidence, it's big," Dolliver said. "For so long, the team has thought maybe we're not where we should be, we're not playing in the league we should be. We start seeing some of the teams coming down the pike and I think our kids are starting to realize we're pretty damn good too."