The winning streak continues for Raymond S. Kellis High’s varsity football team as it beat Mesquite on the road 26-24 in a nail-biting game Friday night.

The Cougars pushed their record to 5-0 with a blocked kick by senior Jeremy Martinez during the final seconds of the Class 5A non-region game.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking,” Martinez said. “I’m never playing punt or field goal block, so I was shaking.”

Seconds before the snap, Martinez’s nerves got the best of him and he was called for an offsides penalty. The penalty brought the ball five yards closer to the field goal for Mesquite.

The game was on the line for both teams. A good kick would win the game for Mesquite (2-4), giving the Cougars their first loss.

“I was so mad at myself I didn’t know what to do," Martinez said. "Mesquite snapped the ball, I got a finger on it, and he missed. I just jumped up, I couldn’t believe it.”

Along with Martinez, wide receiver Plas Johnson stepped up to make some big time plays. Johnson caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Cade Peterson to give the Cougars the lead 26-24 with 32 seconds left in the game.

“In close games, team is everything,” Johnson said. “I knew I had to go out there with the guys and make a big play.”

The Cougars struggled in the first half, but came out strong in the second half with Quentin Estice's 75-yard touchdown run..

“At halftime coach was just telling us it was all a mind game,” Johnson said. “He told us we needed to keep our heads up, and we came out and played.”

Despite the tough loss, Mesquite put up a tough fight on both sides of the ball.

On offense, senior Deandre Kelsey rushed for 155 yards and had two receptions for 24 yards. Kelsey’s quick cuts and speed led him into the end zone for three touchdowns.

Along with Kelsey, junior Chandler Coleman rushed for 113 yards and had his best game of the season thus far.

On the other side of the ball, the Mesquite defense remained resilient throughout all four quarters. Despite a number of penalties and calls that weren’t going its way, the defense maintained composure and kept fighting.

With three sacks, the Mesquite defense continued to penetrate the Cougars' offensive line and put pressure on the quarterback the entire night.

“We just kept grinding and working our hardest,” Mesquite linebacker Trevor Coates said.

In spite of the tough loss, Mesquite players left the field with their heads held high. “Even though it was a tough loss, it gives us some confidence knowing we can compete with great teams,” Coates said. “We played hard and we’re going to come out stronger next week.”