By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

Callaway High’s Quantavius Leslie saw the ball coming his way, and he knew he had to make the catch.

Never mind that he had two Westminster defenders right next to him fighting for the ball as well.

With the game and the season on the line, Leslie’s only thought was making sure the ball belonged to him.

“I knew I just had to make a play for our team when they needed me,” Leslie said.

Leslie was up to the task.

He snared the ball at the 1-yard line for a 37-yard catch with about one minute left in Friday’s Class AA playoff game at Callaway Stadium, and four plays later on fourth down, quarterback Quan Bray scored the go-ahead and winning touchdown.

The Cavaliers won 35-31 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs for the first time in school history.

The Cavs used a textbook drive to take the game away from the Wildcats.

Westminster scored a touchdown of its own with a little more than three minutes left to take 31-28 lead.

Bray returned the ensuing kickoff to the 30-yard line, and the Cavs went to work.

“Everybody was calm,” Leslie said of the atmosphere in the huddle as the drive started.

Marquis Terrell got things started with an 8-yard run, and Bray followed with a 10-yard keeper to the 38-yard line for a first down.

On the next play, Bray scrambled, and he found Leslie on the sideline for a 12-yard catch.

After a 2-yard run by Bray and an incomplete pass, the Cavs found themselves facing third-and-eight from the Westminster 38.

That’s when Leslie made the catch.

Bray heaved the ball toward the end zone, and Leslie leaped up and caught it, falling just short of the end zone.

“Late in the game, we were down, and I knew I had to make a big play,” said Leslie, who had a touchdown catch earlier in the game and finished with 135 receiving yards.

Leslie, head coach Pete Wiggins said, has made a habit of making plays like that over the years.

“Its not the first time he’s caught one like that, I promise you,” Wiggins said.

Needing less than a yard to take the lead, the Cavs were in great shape, but they had to sweat things out before Bray’s scoring plunge.

Bray was stuffed for no gain on first down, and the Cavs lost a yard after recovering a fumble on second down.

On third down, fullback Randy Bailey bulled ahead for a yard, and it was fourth down with a few feet to go.

There was no thought of attempting a tying field goal.

“We knew we were going to go for it,” Wiggins said.

Bray made that decision a golden one by driving up the middle for the touchdown, and Josh Ham’s extra point capped the scoring.

Bray was terrific on the final drive.

He completed both of his pass attempts, and when the Cavs had to have a yard, the coaches decided to keep the ball in his hands.

“He kept the guys calm and was able to run the offense,” Wiggins said.

After scoring four touchdown in the first half on three touchdown runs from Terrell and a touchdown catch by Leslie, the Cavs were held scoreless in the second half until their final drive.

Still, even though Westminster seemingly had control of the game, the Cavs kept the faith, and they pulled off a remarkable win.

“We never doubted,” Wiggins said.