An amazing season came to a stunning end Friday night when East Lansing scored a touchdown and two-point conversion with no time left on the click to hand the Dreadnaughts a 50-49 loss.

It was another heartbreaking finish to go along with two overtime playoff losses in the last three years for the Dreadnaughts and their fans.

This one might be the most crushing with Dexter holding 14-point leads twice in the game only to have the Trojans rally for the win.

The Dreadnaughts truck first when Cooper Arnedt hit Jaiden Juback with a 24-yard TD pass and a 7-0 lead.

On East Lansing’s first play Jacob MacDonnell picked off a tipped pass to give Dexter the ball at the Trojan 27.

Dexter reached the Trojan’s five, but a pair of sacks moved the Dreads back and forced the Dreads to punt.

East Lansing struck with a 35-yard TD run by MSU commit Jace Clarizio to tie the game at seven.

The Trojans picked off a pass on the Dreads next series, but the Dexter defense came up with a huge stop and kept the game tied at seven.

Ronny Johnson put the Dreadnaughts back on top 14-7 with a four-yard TD run and after another defensive stop the lead grew to 21-7 when Arnedt connected with Juback with an eleven-yard TD pass.

East Lansing answered with a TD run by Clarizio with 1:15 left in the half, but the Dreads moved down the field and went on top 28-14 with a Johnson TD run from a yard out.

The Trojans opened the second half with a one-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 28-21, but Grant Goodrich took the ensuing kickoff to the house with a 93yard kickoff return and Dexter lead by 14 for the third time 35-21.

A huge moment in the game came on the next series when Dexter intercepted a pass near midfield. The Dreadnaughts were called for two personal fouls on the play that not only negated the INT, but moved the ball 30 yards down field for the Trojans.

Two plays later East Lansing ran it in to cut the lead to 35-28.

After executing a fake punt, the next Dexter drive stalled, and East Lansing took over in its own territory. The Trojans then tied the game with a 61-yard TD run and it was 35-35 after three.

Johnson put Dexter back on top with his third TD of the night from 11 yards out to make it 42-35 with 5:53 left.

East Lansing converted on fourth and ten on its next series and retied the game when Clarizio scored for the fourth time of the night from 19 yards out with 1:47 left.

A big kick return by Cole Novara gave the Dreads the ball in East Lansing territory and Dexter went back on top 49-42 with a 37-yard scoring strike from Arnedt to Novara with 53 seconds left in the fourth.

East Lansing had one more answer moving down the field with short passes and reached the Dexter 18 with six seconds left. After a timeout, the Trojans connected for an 18-yard TD pass with all zeroes on the clock to make it 49-48.

The Trojans decided to go for the two-pointer and the win and connected for a three yard pass into the endzone for the game-winner.

Arnedt finished 21-28 passing for 239 yards and three TD’s.

Johnson rushed for 135 yards on 31 carries and scored three times and caught four passes for 29 yards.

Novara finished with nine catches for 135 yards and a score, while Jack DeMerell had four catches for 23 yards. Juback finished with two catches for 38 yards and two scores, while Gabe Rychener had two catches for 14 yards.

The Trojans Clarizio had a huge night with 223 yards rushing and four TD, while quarterback Ben Fletcher passed for 229 yards and two TD’s.

Photos by Mike Williamson