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The Wills Point Tigers watched a seven-point lead and a Bi-district title dissipate in the space of two minutes, as the North Forney Falcons scored two touchdowns in 23 seconds to pull out a shocking 34-28 win on Saturday night in Royse City.

Wills Point’s Dalton King scored the go-ahead TD with 2:01 left in the game, but the North Forney offense, held scoreless in the second half, would strike twice to win.

Trailing 28-21, Forney’s Armani Watts returned the kickoff 29 yards to set the Falcons up at their own 41, after an illegal procedure penalty and an incompletion, Watts gained 37 yards on a reverse to give the Falcon’s a first down at the Tiger 27. On the next play, quarterback Stephen Buckley found Daniel Anguiano behind the Tiger defense for a 27-yard TD. Christian Almada’s kick tied the score with 1:33 left in the game.

Starting at his own 22 after the kickoff, a scrambling King had the ball knocked away, and the Falcon defense recovered at the Tiger 29. On first down, Buckley kept the ball around his left end for the winning touchdown with 1:08 left.

The kick after was no good, leaving the door open for the Tigers. Wills Point made a valiant effort with no timeouts, as King completed three passes and ran 17 more to the Falcon 18 as time ran out.

Buckley, who only completed three passes, made them all count, as all three went for touchdowns. Two came in the final two minutes of the first half, turning a 14-7 Wills Point lead, into 21-14 deficit at the half.

On a third-and-15 from their his own 27, Buckley tossed a quick screen to Brandon Lyons. Breaking tackles along the way, Lyons turned the play into a 77-yard touchdown. Almada’s kick tied the score, 14-14 with 2:08 left in the half.

Wills Point went three-and-out, and after a punt to Falcon 39, fullback G. Forchu (26 carries, 142 yards) gained 18 yards to the Tigers 47. Two plays later, a middle screen to Watts turned into a 47-yard touchdown and a 21-14 halftime lead for North Forney.

Wills Point got the first big play of the game, but couldn’t capitalize. Dacotah Mallewick scooped up an errant option pitch on the first possession of the game, and returned it 18 yards to the North Forney 26. On second down after the turnover, Jaquaveon Maxie found a crease and took it all the way to the Falcons’ two-yard line. The Tigers were stifled there, though, and a field goal attempt was blocked.

North Forney then marched 80 yards in 12 plays, with Watts (60 yards rushing, 47 receiving) carrying the ball over from five yards out.

Wills Point answered with a 69-yard scoring drive. Dominique Granville (11 carries, 77 yards) taking over for an injured Maxie, converted a third-and-two with a 37-yard gain. Three plays later, King converted a fourth-and-two with an eight-yard gain to the Falcons’ eight. On the next play, King (25-of-27, 294 yards) passed to Trey Smith for a TD on the first play of the second quarter, and Trevor Merten tied the score with his point after kick.

Forney was forced to punt on its next possession, and the Tigers started at their own 14.  On third-and-six, a scrambling King lofted a pass to Micky Morris, who made a finger tip catch and a great run to the Falcons’ eight for a 74-yard pickup.

On third down from the 13, King found Stevie Burch (7 receptions, 120 yards) along the sideline to the one-yard line. On fourth down, King ran it in to give Wills Point a 14-7 lead with 6:28 to play.

The Tigers let another opportunity get away before Forney went on its scoring spree to end the half. Clay Deen blocked a Falcons punt giving Wills Point the ball at the Falcons’ 32, two incompletions, a penalty, and a 10-yard punt gave the ball back at the 27 with 3:42 left.

The Tigers scored once in the third and once in the fourth while holding North Forney scoreless for the first 23 minutes of the second half.

Wills Point took possession of the ball at their own 27-yard line with 2:25 left in the third. On first down, King hit Burch for a 25-yard gain, crossing midfield. After and incompletion, King found Burch over the middle again, and the senior receiver spun out of two tackles to break away for a 48 yard touchdown. Merten’s kick tied the score at 21.

The Tiger defense held North Forney to nine plays and two punts on its next two possessions, and Burch returned the second punt 16 yard to the Wills Point 41. An offside penalty help the Tigers convert a fourth and inches into a first down at the North Forney 44.

King completed passes of six yards to Deen, and eight yards to Smith for another first down at the 30. And three plays later found Deen for a nine-yard gain, converting a fourth-and-three.

On third-and-11 from the 15, King scrambled behind the line before flipping the ball to Granville for a 14-yard gain to the one.  It took three tries from there, but King scored another one-yard touchdown.

Merten’s kick put the Tigers up 28-21 with 2:01 left, but that was all the time the Falcons would need to win and advance to the area round.

North Forney will meet Carthage at Tyler Rose Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 18.