By Robert Chalupny
For the Call
Pictured: Lindbergh’s Rico Payton, with football, scored two touchdowns Friday night to lead the Flyers to a 16-14 victory over the Kirkwood Pioneers. Photo by Jessica Belle Kramer.

The Lindbergh High School varsity football team thrilled its home fans and stunned Kirkwood Friday night when the Flyers launched a late-game comeback to knock off the Pioneers 16-14.
Late in the game, the Flyers were down 14-0 with just 14 minutes remaining on the clock to save their near-perfect season.
But they rallied to victory, earning them an appearance Friday night in the district championship game against Eureka.
Lindbergh and Kirkwood battled back and forth in a scoreless first quarter before Stefan Cameron of the Pioneers entered the end zone on a 9-yard run from inside the red zone early in the second quarter.
But that was all the scoring in the first half, and the Flyers went to the dressing room trailing, something that has only happened two other times this season.
Kirkwood’s Micah Makuta caught a 60-yard pass for a touchdown with just over two minutes left in the third quarter to put his team up 14-0. With just over a quarter remaining, the full house of Flyer fans became quiet.
But the hush over the crowd lasted only about two minutes as Lindbergh’s go-to player, Rico Payton, finally broke through for the Flyers with 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
With the Flyers down 14-7 with just four minutes remaining, the situation looked grim, but Payton struck again to tie the game.
On their last drive, the Flyers inched their way down field and kicker Garret Butz launched a 35-yarder with eight seconds left in the game to win it for Lindbergh.
Lindbergh head coach Nathan Norman said he was proud of the way his players battled back and also praised to Kirkwood.
“I’m proud of our kids and coaches for another great week of Lindbergh football,” he told the Call. “It wasn’t our cleanest game and we definitely have room to improve, but Kirkwood was the cause for many of our misfortunes. Kirkwood was a very good football team who played with great effort. We are fortunate to have finished on top.”
When the Flyers travel to Eureka for a 6 p.m. game Friday, they will have a chance to right a wrong, at least from their perspective, as the Wildcats handed Lindbergh its only loss of the season — 41-10 in week 7.
“Few times in life do you get a second chance on an opportunity and we have fought our way back for a second opportunity with Eureka,” Norman said. “Definitely a challenge, but we are excited and thrilled to prepare another week and play for a district championship.”