The funny thing about sports miracles is sometimes it’s impossible to recognize them when they happen.

When Southside-Selma converted a third-and-43, trailing by seven with under two minutes to play, the hometown fans shrieking as Cory Jackson sprinted down the sideline knew they were seeing a miracle finish.

They were right.

It was just for the other team.

Jemison safety Matthew Sample fell in pursuit of Jackson, who had taken a 10-yard slant, found an opening in the middle of the field and danced to the outside where he had nothing but goal line in front of him.

Surprisingly, Sample managed to catch the fleet Jackson from behind, tripping him up at the 14-yard line with a minute left in the game.

“I think Cory was worried about holding onto the ball more than finishing the play,” Southside coach Chris Raymond said.

Sample’s tackle turned out to be the game-saver.

Southside stayed in a five-wideout, hurry-up mode and two plays later Jemison’s Shannon Oliver picked off Jeffery Anderson at the goal line and sealed the 34-27 win for Jemison.

The win locks up a second-place seed for the upcoming playoffs behind region champion Demopolis.

“We had opportunities,” Raymond said. “We had opportunities and we missed them. If we can learn from a game like this tonight and we can get the fourth (playoff) spot, we’re going to cause a lot of teams problems. I’m excited about the future here at Southside.

I think we’re earning the respect of a lot of teams in the state of Alabama.”

Friday night’s game in Selma was a tale of two halves.

A pair of Michael Carter blocked punts and an efficient passing game put Southside up 21-8 at the half, but a quartet of Southside turnovers helped Jemison battle back in the second half.

It was a brutal, hard-hitting game as several key Southside Panthers picked up injuries as the game went along.

Anderson, Clyde Brown, Tony Myles Jr., Champ Richardson and Michael Carter all had to leave the game at some point for Southside.

“It’s been a long and tough season and we’ve been playing some of the best schools in the state, we’re just going to try and get healthy,” Raymond said.

Jemison’s passing attack was supposed to be the more impressive offense coming into the game, but Southside held Jemison to 6 of 19 passing for 58 yards.

Southside’s Anderson countered with 214 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 11-of-27 passing.

“Jeffery, for his first start, he played excellent,” Raymond said. “I think with the passing game and being able to run the football, a lot of teams are going to have to plan for him now.”

Southside running back Tony Myles Jr. was bottled up by the Jemison defense for most of the night, except for a fourth-quarter, 80-yard touchdown romp that tied the game at 27. Myles finished with 102 yards on 13 carries.

Jackson had four catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.

Jamarcus Hardy had four catches for 10 yards and Clyde Brown had two catches for 40 yards. Anderson also ran for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Jemison’s ground attack was far more effective as the shotgun option opened up gaping holes in Southside’s defense.

Justin Elkins ran for 87 yards on five carries.

Oliver had 54 yards on 12 carries and Emanuel Agee had 58 yards on 13 carries.

Southside drew first blood in the game when Carter blocked a Jemison punt deep in their own territory and Henry Powell scooped it up and returned it inside the 10.

Jamarcus Hardy punched it home from there and Anderson’s kick made it 7-0 early in the game.

Southside squandered good field position after Myles intercepted Van Clements inside the Jemison 35. Southside did increase the lead after Carter blocked his second punt of the night inside Jemison territory.

On the next play, Anderson went up top to Jackson for a 28-yard touchdown lob.

The extra point try failed and it was 13-0 Southside.

Jemison answered on the next play.

Oliver took the ensuing kick at the 80, fearlessly charged into the gap at full speed.

He found a hole and raced to the Southside 12.

Clements hit Justin Deavers for the score.

The duo hooked up for the two-point conversion and cut the lead to 13-8.

Southside managed to extend the lead on a controversial series late in the first half.

Southside get the ball at their own 40 with 1:12 left.

Jemison forgot to cover Clyde Brown in the slot on one play and covered him with a linebacker in another.

The plays combined to move Southside to the Jemison 20.

With time running out, Anderson scrambled down the sideline, dove for the pylon and got hit low.

He cartwheeled out of bounds at the two-yard line with 17.6 second left to play.

Anderson got the call again on the next play and was hit short of the goal line.

He backed into the end zone, fighting off the tackler as he went. At some point he lost the ball, but eventually the referees ruled touchdown with no time left on the clock.

The Jemison sideline went ballistic, eventually drawing a 15-yard penalty that was walked off at the start of the second half.

Jemison took the opening drive and scored as Clements hit Deavers again for a 14-yard TD.

The conversion try failed and the Southside lead was 21-14.

Southside responded with a drive, but a fumbled pitch at the Jemison 30 killed the home team’s momentum.

On a third and 11 at their own 29, Elkins ripped off a 65-yard run that set up a 21-yard Oliver TD run.

The extra point tied the game at 21 going into the fourth quarter.

After exchanging possessions, Jemison played the field position game, punting Southside deep.

The resulting good field position when Jemison got the ball back on a punt led to Clements’ 1-yard sneak for a score and a 27-21 with 7:21 left.

After taking the ball at their own 20, Southside turned to Myles, who found his first big hole of the night.

The power back rumbled to the 50, stiff-armed a tackler and broke free for the touchdown with 7:04 left in the quarter.

The extra point was blocked, leaving the game tied at 27.

The Southside defense held on the ensuing drive, but Jemison punted the Southside back to their own 10 with under four minutes to play.

After a pair of incomplete passes, Oliver picked off Anderson at the 20.

The ensuing drive ended with a 7-yard Agee run.

Clements added the PAT and Southside had two minutes to work with.

The Panthers of Southside, returned the ball to their own 42, but a holding penalty and an intentional grounding penalty pushed the ball all the way back to the Panthers 8-yard line setting up the miracle finish.

With the loss Southside falls to 6-3 overall and 4-3 in region play.

Jemison is 7-2 and 5-2 in region play.

Southside is scheduled to play Keith next week, but Raymond said the Bears and Panthers may not meet.

“We may not even play against Keith, if things go our way, we may get a chance to rest our guys,” Raymond said.