By Loyd McIntosh photo by Jordan Wald
In the early 20th century, illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini made crowds fear the worst as he dangled upside down, locked in a water-filled glass tank with only minutes to survive. Just when it looked like the end was near, Houdini would burst free. The life-or-death suspense made Houdini a global phenomenon.
What Mountain Brook quarterback Cayden Hofbauer pulled off during a late-September game against the Homewood Patriots can only be called a Houdini moment. Down seven points with 59 seconds to play in the game and the ball on their own six-yard line, Mountain Brook needed a miracle—in fact, two miracles—to pull off a win.
Enter stage left, Cayden “Houdini” Hofbauer.
Struggling through the air for much of the game, Hofbauer completed five of six passing attempts, including a Hail Mary to Trey Vinson at the Homewood 10-yard line. Then, with just four seconds on the clock, Hofbauer found some space and ran up the middle for a touchdown as time expired, sending the game into overtime. Miracle number one achieved.
In overtime, Homewood scored a touchdown and converted the extra point to take a seven-point lead—time for miracle number two.
Needing a touchdown and an extra point to force a second overtime, or a two-point conversion to win, Hofbauer found a wide-open Wallace Hunter in the end zone for six on third down. Mountain Brook Head = Coach Chris Yeager decided to go for the win, lining the offense up for a two-point conversion. Facing the loud and distracting Homewood Patriot band, a miscommunication led to an early snap, and the ball sailed past Hofbauer, rolling to around the 40-yard line.
Hofbauer scooped up the ball mid-sprint, finding multiple red jerseys ready to pounce and end the game. He turned 180 degrees, found some space toward the Homewood sideline, and heaved another Hail Mary across his body, caught by six-four tight end Bennett Jordan in the end zone. The catch sealed the 25-24 win as pandemonium exploded on the Mountain Brook sideline.
Following the game, Hofbauer said he did his best to stay calm and collected as the play—and the team’s hopes of winning—were crumbling all around him. He knew if he could find some open space, he could rely on his teammates to complete this Houdini moment.
“It felt like 100 yards when I was running back to get the ball, then I had to run a little bit further to get some separation,” he added. “I just threw it with all my might.”
Mountain Brook play-by-play announcer William Galloway, who can be heard shredding his vocal cords describing the play, said the final drive in regulation and the two-point conversion in overtime “will go down in Mountain Brook football lore.”
Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said beyond the statistics, Hofbauer has a knack for keeping plays alive long after the original plan has broken down. He seems to thrive on chaos, pulling off Houdinis when the game is on the line.
“The best thing he does is extend plays. He’s just got a sixth sense,” said Yeager. “He just put that ball to the tallest guy on the football team.”
“A lot of people talk about having football IQ, but he’s got something that’s sort of outside of that I can’t explain and can’t teach,” added Yeager. “He just makes it happen.”
