The 'Cardiac Cats': A look back at how Dunbar football keeps winning close games

The Dunbar football team is unbeaten in one-score games this season. That includes its last four games and three consecutive playoff victories.

The Tigers are heading to St. Augustine where they will face the Yellow Jackets on Friday for a spot in the Class 3S championship game.

READ:'The heart of the team': Dunbar head football coach Sammy Brown making history

MORE:Here is our list of the best Southwest Florida high school football games played this season

Here is a look back at how Dunbar was able to get here, often with last-second or miracle plays.

Regular season

Dunbar def. Fort Myers 40-39 (2OT)

Prior to the playoffs, the Tigers won two crucial games by one score. The first came in Week 4 against Fort Myers in a game that, like every year's matchup between these rivals, had major district implications.

The teams one-upped an overtime epic a year before with a double overtime classic. In the first overtime, Dunbar was able to block a crucial extra point that would have won it for the Green Wave. In the second overtime, after Fort Myers successfully kicked an extra point, the Tigers went for two and converted with an Austin Price pass to TJ Abrams to earn the win.

They said:

“Fort Myers-Dunbar, that’s what you get every year,” Dunbar head coach Sammy Brown said. "This is really a rivalry. Throw the records out the window, everything’s out the window. You get a great ballgame and that’s what we gave the fans.”

Dunbar def. Lehigh 18-15

The last week of the regular season was anything but a cakewalk for the Tigers.

The Lightning gave them everything they had and led for most of the game. With just over two minutes to go, Dunbar took a 12-7 lead on a 62-yard touchdown pass from Price to Abrams. Lehigh responded with its own drive, scoring with 18 seconds left on the clock to go back in front.

On the following kickoff, Damari Loggins fielded the ball and flipped it to Eric Fletcher, who returned it for a touchdown. The Lightning nearly responded with their own kickoff return for a touchdown, but it was nullified on a block-in-the-back penalty.

The win crucially secured the No. 4 seed — and home-field advantage in the first round — in the regional playoff bracket for Dunbar.

They said:

“We planned that all week in practice,” Fletcher said. “I told (Loggins) it’s the time to run it right here.”

“Coach (Antwan) Dixon and his staff had those guys ready to play,” Brown said. “Hats off to those guys. We just had to dig deep and find a way to win. Sometimes you win ugly. That’s better than an ugly loss – I can tell you that.”

Postseason

Dunbar def. Fort Myers 21-17

The rematch between the Tigers and the Green Wave went as expected — meaning, the game wasn't decided until the final second ticked off the clock.

Dunbar came back from a 17-7 deficit, scoring twice in the final four minutes with Chris Singleton's 24-yard rushing touchdown giving them the lead.

On the game's last play, Fort Myers quarterback Chris McFoley connected with Madrid Tucker from 28 yards out, but the officials ruled that he was out of bounds — just barely. Fletcher, who had coverage, might have saved Dunbar's season with his shove.

They said:

“That was awesome,” Brown said following the victory. “Awesome for the fans, awesome for the community. They gave us all they had, we gave them all we had. Awesome.”

Dunbar def. Golden Gate 12-7

The Tigers built their lead against the top-seeded Titans with two scores by Abrams. Golden Gate was driving toward the end zone and with 10 seconds left, Dunbar's Hezekiah Jones intercepted a Sam Powell pass to end it.

It was Dunbar's third takeaway of the game. The defense dismantled a Golden Gate team that was averaging 39 points a game. It was the Tigers' fifth consecutive win where they had held an opponent to 17 points or less.

They said:

“The only thing going through my mind was, no touchdown,” Jones said. “They score, they win the game. I just wanted to come through for the team in the biggest way possible. I just made a play.”

“We put in the work since June,” Brown said. “These things that are happening now are because of the work that we put in. We’ve got a great strength coach. Coach (Adam) Irizarry is excellent. I tip my hat to him. These last three wins have got to go to the strength guy. They never falter. They never think that they can’t. He’s always pushing these guys. That translated from the weight room to the field.”

Dunbar def. Naples 12-10

In a rematch of last year's regional final, the Tigers prevailed again — this time in the most dramatic fashion.

With a little over 10 seconds remaining, Naples took a 10-6 lead with a Jack Melton quarterback sneak. Dunbar once again proved the danger of their special teams. On the ensuing kickoff, Kelby Tyre got several defenders going the wrong way with a fake pitch and raced past the rest of the Golden Eagles for a 96-yard touchdown as time expired.

“Before the play started, I was on my knees and prayed to God,” Tyre said. “I said to God, ‘I pray that on this kick return, make something happen.’ I made something happen. I fake-pitched it to TJ, and I ran up the middle. I broke one tackle, and I was gone. You never give up. The game’s over when it says triple zeros. There was 10 seconds left. I had to make something happen.”

“The sky’s the limit for this ballclub," Brown said. "Anything can happen on Friday nights with the Dunbar Tigers. But you better be ready to play 48.”