HAYFIELD —The Hayfield football team had lost four straight games and its primary play-maker Lane Canny was injured last week, but that didn’t stop the Vikings from putting together one of the best fourth quarters possible in their regular season finale against Southland Friday.

The Vikings trailed by 14-0 going into the fourth quarter, but they were able to rally to a 27-14 win that will likely move them up to a No. 5 seed in the upcoming Section 1A football tournament.

Hayfield iced the game when Trace Tebay picked off a pass in the flat and ran it back 67 yards for a score to put his team up 21-14 with 44 seconds left in the game.

Tebay couldn’t help but feel a thrill as he ran down the sideline for the score.

“It’s unexplainable. It’s high school football,” Tebay said of the play. “It’s fun and you can’t explain how good of a feeling that is.”

On Southland’s next possession, Hayfield defensive end Shawn Chambers picked off a screen pass and ran back it 46 yards for a score to put the game way out of reach. Hayfield (2-6 overall) took the lead for good when Jake Scott connected on a 27-yard field goal to make it 15-14 Vikings with 1:49 left in the game.

Scott missed all three of his PATs on the night, but he was able to connect with the pressure on him. Had he missed that kick, Southland would’ve had a chance to run out the clock and end the game.

“it was just rhythm. I got a little excited on the other ones and I had to get my steps down,” Scott said. “The one that counted, I guess I made.”

The Rebels (2-6 overall) looked to be in control early on as they took a 14-0 lead on an 8-yard TD run by Jared Landherr with 10:25 left in the second quarter. After Landherr’s score, the Rebels struggled to keep possession and the they finished the night with seven turnovers.

Southland has now lost six straight games and head coach Shawn Kennedy said that fourth quarter letdowns have become too routine for his team.

“We spent the whole third quarter inside of our thirty yard line,” Kennedy said. “Our defense played phenomenal and we’re just shooting ourself in the foot. We’re not a bad football team, but we’ve just self destructed.”

Hayfield was able to get back in the game when it scored a pair of touchdowns on fourth and goal. Hayfield quarterback Drew Olive had a two-yard sneak to put Hayfield on the scoreboard and the Vikings pulled to within 14-12 when Aaron Anderson hauled in a 10-yard TD pass.

Scott’s decisive field goal was set up on a 67 yard catch and run by Tebay that came on a third and 10.

“We just kept believing in what the coaches were saying,” Tebay said. “We trusted in what we were doing and we practiced this all week. We kept focus and we kept doing what we should do. It opened up for us.”

Hayfield head coach Andrew Weiers said he liked the way his team responded with a 27-point surge in the final quarter. He said the Vikings just had to get down to executing and he credited senior Brayden Hegna, who had 13 tackles, and Tebay for making big plays.

“Trace is one of the kids who knows the game,” Weiers said. “He comes over to the sideline and he knows his routes. We give him the freedom to call his own routes sometimes.”

Jackson Koenigs racked up 15 tackles for the Rebels, who were playing without Chris Webber, who sustained an injury last week.

“It really hurt not having Chris Webber on offense,” Kennedy said. “He’s that spark and when you put him on one side and Josh [Anderson] on the other side, it’s hard to line up against them.”

Hayfield and Southland, which will likely be a No. 6 seed, will both open Section 1A play 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Southland 8 6 0 0 — 14

Hayfield 0 0 0 27 — 27

First quarter

(S) Jared Landherr 13 pass from James Landherr (Josh Anderson from Landherr) (6 plays, 30 yards) 1:52

Second quarter

(S) Jared Landherr 8 run (pass failed) (6 plays, 52 yards) 10:25

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

(H) Drew Olive 2 run (kick failed) (4 plays, 9 yards) 11:54

(H) Aaron Anderson 10 pass from Olive (pass failed) (10 plays, 80 yards) 6:29

(H) Gunner Scott 27 field goal (6 plays, 64 yards) 1:49

(H) Trace Tebay 67 interception return (kick failed) (1 play, 67 yards) :44

(H) Shawn Chambers 46 interception return (kick failed) (1 play, 47 yards) :22

HAYFIELD STATS

Rushing: Gunner Scott, 8-for-14; Drew Olive, 15-for-4; Sutton Schultz, 3-for-3; Jake Olive, 3-for-1; Trace Tebay, 2-for-(-4)

Passing: Drew Olive, 10-for-36, 203, TD, 2 INT

Receiving: Tebay, 5-for-151; Aaron Anderson, 2-for-30, TD; Scott, 1-for-11; Schultz, 2-for-11

Interceptions: Tebay (2); Shawn Chambers (1)

Fumbles recovered: Chambers (1); Anderson (1); Kris Aasen (1)

Sacks: Chambers (1); Jake Olive (1)

Blocked punts: Scott (1)

Tackles: Brayden Hegna, 13; Trey Chatman, 7.5

Penalties: 5-for-30

SOUTHLAND STATS

Rushing: Jared Landherr, 14-for-68, TD; Josh Anderson, 9-for-63; Colton Mandt, 9-for-19; James Landherr, 6-for-5

Passing: James Landherr, 14-for-24, 130, TD, 3 INT

Receiving: Anderson, 6-for-44; Mandt, 3-for-23; Jared Landherr, 2-for-22, TD; Jackson Koenigs, 1-for-21; Drew Lewison, 1-for-13; Carl Mueller, 1-for-7

Interceptions: Jared Landherr (1); James Landherr (1)

Sacks: Carl Mueller (2); Isaac Essinger (2); Bryce Larson (1)

Tackles: Jackson Koenigs, 15

Penalties: 1-for-15