Sawyer May does his best Kirk Gibson impression in Arroyo Grande playoff win

Sawyer May wanted one more shot.

In the fourth quarter of Friday night’s playoff game between Arroyo Grande and Westlake, the Eagles senior quarterback pleaded with head coach Tom Goossen.

“Give me one more series,” May said. “If you don’t think I can go, put Zach (Bullard) in.”

May’s ankle was swollen. As the adrenaline started to wear off from the third-quarter injury, May started to think that maybe it would be better if he stayed on the sideline. Maybe it would be best for the team if Bullard, the backup quarterback, remained in the game. After all, he had just led the Eagles on a drive that ended with a field goal. But he also bobbled a snap.

In what could be the final game of his high school career, with the team holding a 10-point lead, May knew he didn’t want his team’s fate to be in someone else’s hands. He wanted to finish what he started when he took over the starting role as a skinny sophomore.

With the season on the line in the fourth quarter, May limped his way back into the game.

And so did Westlake.

The Warriors scored and shrank the Arroyo Grande lead to 31-28 with about 9 minutes to go. On the ensuing drive, May labored but completed two passes before a James Gilmet fumble gave the ball back to Westlake. When the Arroyo Grande defense forced a punt, May, who had three rushing touchdowns in the first half and had 12 carries for 58 yards, had to do the rest with his arm.

On a crucial third down with four minutes to play, he got the chance.

Westlake came with a blitz. May bumped into his teammate on the dropback, but he was able to avoid the blitz and lofted a sideline pass to Elliot Talley off his bad ankle. Talley made a spectacular diving catch to pick up the first down and keep the clock rolling.

The injury did show itself a few plays later when May came up short on a fourth-down pass.

But the Eagles defense had his back. Ivan Rocha’s interception on Westlake’s final drive sealed the 31-28 win for Arroyo Grande and advanced the Eagles to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.

“I wanted him in there for him,” Goossen said. “Not even so much for us, but I know how much he wanted it. He’s such a competitor, works so darn hard.”

“It’s his ball club and he deserved the opportunity to be in there,” he added.

After the interviews and the accolades that followed the game, May sat with his family in the trainers room. With a heavily taped ankle, he used crutches to leave campus. For a quarterback hoping to play seven days from now, it’s obviously not how he wanted to celebrate a win.

But despite the crutches and tape, it’s hard to believe after what went down on Friday night that May, who hasn’t missed a start in his varsity career, will miss next Friday’s second round game on the road against Valencia.

Hurt ankle or not, May will likely be on the field to give his division title dreams one more shot.

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Sawyer May does his best Kirk Gibson impression in Arroyo Grande playoff win."