NASHVILLE — The Nashville Hornets will be headed back to DeKalb to play for the 2A State Championship for the second time in three years, thanks to a furious fourth quarter rally to stun previously unbeaten Decatur St. Teresa 37-35.

Nashville’s rally featured a touchdown run, a touchdown pass, two onside kick recoveries, a blocked extra point, a fourth down defensive stand, and a game winning drive run to perfection finished off with a 23-yard field goal with 3.9 seconds to play. All of that came, not necessarily in that order, over the final 8:26 after the Bulldogs had taken a 35-21 lead.

Connor Gladson’s 29-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 35-28 with 6:34 to play. Gladson then recovered Eduardo Garibay’s onside kick. Three plays later, Kolten Gajewski connected with Isaac Turner for a 52-yard touchdown, but St. Teresa’s Noah Hayes blocked Garibay’s extra point preserving a 35-34 Bulldogs’ lead.

The Hornets then executed a second onside kick as Turner recovered this one in St. Teresa territory, but Nashville could not take advantage and turned the ball over on downs.

St. Teresa had a chance to run out the clock, but the Hornets stopped all-state running back Denim Cook on fourth and short with 1:32 to play setting up the game winning drive.

Armed with two timeouts, Nashville mixed in multiple runs with a couple of passes to move from their 35 to the Bulldogs’ six yard line. Garibay booted the 23-yard go ahead field goal, and after a final stop on St. Teresa’s Hail Mary attempt, the celebration was on. The Hornets scored 16 points over the final 6:34 to earn a trip back to DeKalb.

Connor Gladson scored three touchdowns to lead the Nashville offensive attack. Kolten Gajewski overcame a couple of early interceptions, including a pick six, to throw two touchdowns, both to Isaac Turner.

Cook ran for 220 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs, who finish 12-1.

Nashville will face another unbeaten, Wilmington, in the 2A championship game at 1:00 Friday at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.