Cedar Rapids Washington quarterback Reid Snitker has watched the replays of last Friday's 28-27 victory over Waterloo West several times now.

It's an instant classic.

He throws a touchdown pass with 61 seconds left. The on-sides kick is successful. He throws another TD pass to the same guy with 15.5 seconds left.

Just like that, a hopeless 27-15 deficit becomes an incredible 28-27 victory.

Snitker saw it on TV Friday night. And he's watched the game film a couple of times, just to make sure he's not dreaming.

"Even after the third or fourth time, I still get goose-bumps," he said after practice Tuesday. "It's amazing."

The Warriors work on their 2-minute drill every week. They also work on their on-sides kick. And on this particular night, it all worked to perfection.

"It was a pretty neat thing," said Coach Paul James. "It's something these players are going to remember forever."

James coached the game from the top floor of the Kingston Stadium pressbox and had a pretty clear view of the on-sides kick, but he's studied the film just to make sure.

"I've looked at it a couple of times, just to see exactly what happened," he said. "It was pretty amazing. You could never recreate that."

Everybody knew what was coming, but the Warriors pulled it off perfectly.

Washington place-kicker Gunnar Lenzen hit a perfect one-hopper. A member of Waterloo West's "good hands" team leaped for the ball and got his hands on it for a moment, but Kyle Malcom stripped it loose and Landen Akers recovered for the Warriors.

"It takes one big hop," said Malcom. "Me and Sam Vincent, we came down and crashed the ball hard. And it squirted out."

Akers saw the loose ball and hung on for dear life.

"I saw one guy tip the ball and I just grabbed it," he said.

As soon as Akers recovered the ball, a thought raced through his mind. "We're winning this game," he remembers thinking.

Snitker has enjoyed watching those replays. Both times, he found Isaiah Nimmers for six points.

"Each time we win," he said happily. "It comes out the same."

Akers had a nose for the ball all night. He blocked two PATs, which turned out to be huge plays in a one-point victory. "I almost got a third," he said.

The Warriors are a smart group. They know they can't celebrate last Friday's victory all week and have any hope of upsetting top-ranked Xavier this week, but they sure like having a 2-and-3 record instead of 1-and-4.

"Two-and-three sounds a lot better," said Snitker, who has received a steady flow of compliments in school this week. "Everybody is starting to jump on the bangwagon."

They'll need two bandwagons if the Warriors stun Xavier this Friday at Saints Field. The Saints have allowed only seven points in five games - an average of 1.4 points per game - and have surrendered a puny 88.8 yards per contest.

James is extremely impressed with Xavier's defensive unit.

"It ranks up there among the best," said James, who has been a football coach for more than 30 years. "They've got a strong front-4 and a really tough - mentally and physically tough - linebacker corps. And they play tough 'man' defense in the secondary. Their secondary is tough, and physical.

"They've kind of got the whole package," he said. "They've been together and they've pretty much seen what anybody can throw at them, so they've kind of got an answer. They know what to do when they see different things."

James and his assistant coaches have been searching for something - anything - to exploit Friday night. "I think that's some of the fun," he said.

Maybe the Warriors should start the game with their 2-minute drill.

"I think we'll run our regular offense first," said Snitker, mulling the idea, "and if that doesn't work out maybe we'll have to go to it."

Snitker has rolled up some good numbers this season. He's completed 59.6 percent of his passes (59 for 99) for 614 yards and five touchdowns, and he's carried the ball 55 times for 261 yards and four TDs.

He made a terrific play on the winning touchdown pass to Nimmers, eluding a tackler and throwing a jump-pass to Nimmers at the 5-yard line.

It comes out the same, each time he watches it.