With the festivities and excitement of Homecoming surrounding the game, Southwest used a last-minute touchdown to take down Jones 26-23 on Saturday in Summit.
In this pivotal South-Division clash, the Bears (3-5, 2-3) out-gained the Bobcats (4-4, 1-4) by over 100 yards as they brought a four-game losing streak to a halt.
The visitors struck first with a short rushing score, but sophomore tailback Chris Hunter responded with a 54-yard touchdown scamper to tie things up before the first quarter concluded.
And as time expired before halftime, freshman kicker Sergio Neyra nailed a 42-yard field goal to give his team a 10-7 advantage heading into the locker room.
Hunter tacked on his second touchdown of the night early in the third, but Jones answered with 10 points to close the quarter.
The Bobcats proceeded to punch in a short touchdown run with just under 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter, seemingly taking all the momentum in the game.
But sophomore defensive back Gary Bailey returned the extra point attempt 97 yards to make the score read 23-19, stunning Jones and giving the Homecoming crowd new life.
The rest of the fourth quarter saw both defenses stand firm, but Southwest manufactured what it needed late. A clutch seven-play, 60-yard drive saw Hunter complete his hat trick by scoring from one yard out with 22 seconds left on the clock.
The Bobcats attempted to tie the game at the buzzer but missed the kick, giving the Bears a hard-earned victory in their home finale.
Southwest out-gained Jones 358-255, and Les George's team committed just four penalties to the visitors' eight.
Freshman Silas Corder led the Bears through the air with 169 yards, while Hunter paced the team with 180 yards on 27 carries, which was good for 6.7 yards per touch. Out wide, freshman receiver Jac Comeaux hauled in two passes for 68 yards.
Defensively, Southwest was spearheaded by sophomore linebacker BJ Mitchell, who tallied 11 tackles. Freshman defensive lineman Justin Foster racked up six tackles, 1.5 for loss and a sack, sophomore defensive back Skylar Husband made seven tackles with 2.5 for loss and broke up a pass while freshman linebacker Jordan Magee ranked second with eight tackles.
Up next, the Bears hit the road for their regular-season finale against East Central (2-6, 2-3), which is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Thursday.
