By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
PORTAGE - Jake Shelton scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than three minutes to play Friday night as Dowagiac rallied for a 40-36 victory over host Portage Central.
Dowagiac (2-0) rallied from a 36-33 deficit to picked up its second win in as many weeks. The Mustangs (0-2) suffered their second consecutive heart-wrenching loss.
Shelton scored on a one-yard run with 2:13 remaining in the contest.
The winning touchdown was set up by David Stuppy's 19-yard pass to Chris Primley.
Stuppy, who was playing with a broken thumb, threw for 141-yards and a touchdown. He was 6-of-8, including five passes to Primley for 86 yards.
Stuppy's touchdown was a 20-yard toss to David Sayre.
Sayre, who was taken to the hospital after the game, picked off a Portage Central pass near midfield to seal the Chieftains' victory.
Shelton ran for three touchdowns and finished with 86 yards rushing, also scored on runs of two- and six-yards.
Jamie Simpson added a pair of touchdowns for the Chieftains and a game-high 155-yards on nine carries. Simpson scored on runs of 38- and 45-yards.
Shelton gave Dowagiac a 7-0 lead when he scored on a two-yard run and Tony Black connected on the extra point kick.
Portage Central tied the game at 7-7 in the opening quarter when Jaron DeShazor scored on an 11-yard run.
The Chieftains reclaimed the lead at 14-7 when Sayre scored on the pass from Stuppy and Black added the extra point.
Portage Central (0-2) tied the game at 14 in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Jeremy Trinkle.
Simpson gave Dowagiac the lead for the third time in the first half with his 38-yard run and Black's extra point.
But Portage Central came right back and knotted the score at 21 when Jared Sherrod tallied on a 24-yard run and Andrew Bush made his third consecutive extra point.
Dowagiac opened the second half scoring as well when Shelton collected his second touchdown of the night, a six-yard run.
Portage Central blocked the extra point leaving Dowagiac with a 27-21 lead.
The Mustangs came roaring right back as Trinke scored on a one-yard sneak and Bush tacked on the extra point to give Portage Central a 28-27 advantage.
That didn't last long as the Chieftains scored early in the fourth quarter to take a 33-28 lead when Simpson raced 45-yards through the Mustang defense.
Dowagiac's two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving the Chieftains with only a five-point advantage.
That advantage lasted about 11 seconds as DeAngelo Yurcek raced 85-yards with the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. The Mustangs went for the two-point conversion and when Sherrod scored Portage Central had a 36-33 lead.
The Chieftains would not be denied on this night and Shelton's touchdown run gave Dowagiac one more victory than it had all of last season.
Portage Central finished with 318 yards in total offense, including 283 yards on the ground.
The Chieftains amassed 465 yards in total offense, including 324 on the ground.
Dowagiac hosts Kalamazoo Central Friday night at 7:30 p.m.