Eddie McZeal scores on a screen pass to power New Iberia past Sam Houston on Friday.

Heading into the final game of the regular season, New Iberia Senior High was on the outside looking in with respect to the Class 5A playoffs, which start this week.

Visiting Sam Houston was a bubble team, needing a win to stay in and a loss just might drop them out of postseason play.

So in effect, Friday District 3-5A contest was for all intents and purposes a playoff play-in game, winner most likely in, loser most likely out.

And NISH and Sam Houston battled as if it was a playoff game.

The Yellow Jackets stormed out to a 24-3 lead at halftime, watched Sam Houston tie the game at 27-27 with five minutes left in regulation then NISH pulled out the win as senior Eddie McZeal scored on a 45-yard pass reception with just over a minute left and senior Khaj-Erik Olivier sealed the 34-27 win with an interception with 48 seconds left.

While the Jackets (4-6 overall, 3-4 district) will have to wait until later today to find out if it was enough to make the field of 32 teams in the playoffs, it was a thrilling, emotional homecoming victory.

“Playoffs or not, getting a win in my last high school game means a lot because I went out on top and a hero,” said McZeal, who finished the game with 81 yards rushing and 57 yards receiving, including the game-winning touchdown.

“Everything was on Christian (Druilhet), he got a great block on the perimeter. After that it was daylight,” the NISH senior running back said. “It came down to the last minute and coach called my number and we executed.”

NISH junior quarterback Austin Norris finished off a great night with the touchdown pass. He was 25-of-35 for 244 yards and three touchdowns and his four-yard run with less than 40 seconds left in the game was just enough to run off enough clock so the Jackets didn’t have to run another play at the end.

“The defense played well and gave the offensive opportunities,” Norris said. “The offensive line blocked and gave me time to throw the ball and my receivers got open and caught the ball.”

Including the most important catch (and run) of the night.

“I read the defense and saw the blitz was coming,” said Norris. “I just dumped it off and he did the rest.”

And in the process, kept NISH’s slim playoff hopes alive. 

“Even with all the adversity that we’ve been through this year, it was a good effort by the team and it feels good to get this win,” he added.

The game was a wild affair with big momentum swings on either side.

Sam Houston took the opening kickoff and drove the field for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. NISH responded with a field goal of it’s own on its opening drive and a 3-3 tie.

After that, the two teams settled down into a defensive battle until late in the second quarter when NISH scored three touchdowns in a three minute period as Norris ran for one score and threw two touchdown passes as the Jackets built a 24-3 lead at the break.

“We played really well in the first half, probably as well as we’ve played all year for 24 minutes,” NISH coach Rick Hutson said. “Their kids didn’t quit. They were playing for a playoff spot just like we were and you could tell after they scored that first touchdown pass in the second half that they got a little fire lit under them.”

And that fire almost led to a comeback win for the Broncos.

Sam Houston scored 10 points in the third quarter and added two touchdowns in the fourth and all NISH could manage was a 19 yard Seth Landry field goal for the first 23 minutes of the second half as the Broncos came from 21 points down to tie the game with just over five minutes left.

“I think that we got a little complacent in the second half with the big lead and we did get worried a little bit when they scored that touchdown to tie the game,” Norris said.

“Give them credit for coming back,” said Hutson. “They had all the momentum and our kids could have wilted but our kids hung in there and we made a big play at the end for the win.”

Two big plays, actually, as everyone will remember McZeal’s touchdown pass reception but Olivier’s interception of Sam Houston quarterback Kyle Bartley guaranteed a NISH win.

“I didn’t have a good game today to be honest,” Olivier said. “My coaches kept getting on me because I was out there making bad decisions. 

“I remember when we went out there for that last drive, everyone was telling me ‘sit back, sit back, we need you to go out there and make a play.’ They kept going five wide and were having success. I just read the quarterback’s eyes, gave the receiver a  little cushion and when he threw it, I broke on it.

“After the interception, I kept saying, ‘It’s over, it’s over.’”

Regardless of what happens with NISH’s playoff chances, ending the season with a win is a good thing.

“My dad coached for 50 years,” Hutson said. “He told me that if you can’t make the playoffs, it’s always great if you can win your last ball game because it gives you some momentum into the offseason.

“The thing that we’ll tell our guys coming back is that we lost three games that we really had a shot at. Carencro, Westgate and LaGrange were all games that if we played better, we might have won. Not to take anything away from those teams, but we made some bad plays in those game.

“Maybe it will get us a little more focused in the offseason so we can be aware of those things.”