BAINBRIDGE – All the cliches fit for Bainbridge-Guilford like a well-worn hat. The ball bounced favorably and unfavorably, and the decisive play of the game was determined by mere inches.
On a fourth-and-10 call from the B-G 19, Seton Catholic Central quarterback found fullback Joe Crowley out on the right flat for nine yards and about 34 inches. The Bobcats made a crucial stop with less than 20 seconds to play, and preserved the program’s first-ever Section IV playoff win, 26-20 Friday night in Bainbridge.
B-G (6-1), moves on to the Class D semifinals at Binghamton Alumni Stadium when it plays Walton, the lone team to hang a defeat on the Bobcats this season.
“It was a game of momentum swings, and our kid just came up and made the play when we needed it,” said B-G coach Tim Mattingly of the final stop. “It was a heck of a game, and a shame that someone had to lose.”
Seton Catholic Central (3-4) amassed nearly 500 yards of total offense against the Bobcats, but had inopportune mistakes that cost it a potential playoff win.
In a 14-14 tie at halftime, Seton marched down the field on its first possession of the third quarter making a bee-line for the go-ahead touchdown. On a first down play from the B-G 20, Saints quarterback Caleb Scepaniak tossed a flat pass to John Ferranti on the right side. The ball tipped through Ferranti’s hands to B-G linebacker Jake Mazzarella. Mazzarella dashed the other way 52 yards to the Seton 33.
Billy Holden carried for B-G eight straight times gaining two first downs, but B-G was left with a fourth-and-goal from the three. Mattingly went to Mazzarella on a trap play, and he scampered in easily for the go-ahead touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, the ball teetered near the B-G sideline, and the Saints’ Ferranti was anticipating the ball would go out bounds. B-G’s Tyler Ouimet hustled down for the recovery to set up a huge swing in field possession.
The Bobcats failed to cash in on golden opportunity fumbling at the SCC seven, but managed to hold the visitors to their lone three-and-out of the game. A 15-yard Ouimet punt return to the Seton 30 led to a four-play scoring drive. Mazzarella, again on a trap play to the left, raced 20 yards for the touchdown making it 26-14.
It was a big bounce back for Mazzarella, who lost two first-half fumbles, and had not carried the ball much since the early part of the second quarter. “After his second fumble, I saw Jacob was kind of hanging his head,” Mattingly said. “I called him over and patted him on the back. I told him he would be okay, to not worry about, shake it off, and just bounce back. He did bounce back in a big way, especially in the second half.”
The Saints drove 64 yards for their third score with Scepaniak doing the honors himself on a three-yard quarterback keeper.
The Bobcats again moved into prime scoring position when Ouimet busted the subsequent kickoff 51 yards to the Saints’ 29. That drive stalled when Mazzarella slipped whilst making a cut left on fourth down sending the ball back to the Saints. Again, B-G was poised to make a stop, and it was another stroke of fortune that helped. On fourth down, Seton’s Cole Mallory received the punt snap, but rolled to his right on a fake. He hit Crowley in the hands for what would have been a first down, but Crowley dropped the pass.
With just 4:10 to play, Holden and Mazzarella traded off carries, and advanced inside the Seton 20. Holden, though, had the ball stripped setting up Seton’s last drive.
“These types of games are killers for a coach,” Mattingly said. “Coaches like to have games where you can sit back and enjoy it, but this was great for the kids and great for the fans. It was a game where you had to be resilient. You couldn’t put your head down and quit, especially in a game of inches, and that’s what it came down to in the end.”
Mallory finished with 289 total yards in the loss rushing for 152 yards and two TDs, and catching three passes for 137 yards.
Holden ran for 115 yards and one score and Mazzarella, a recent insert into the starting tailback spot, had 88.
B-G answered Seton’s opening score of the game with its own scoring drive. Corbin Palmer threw his tenth TD pass of the year hooking up with Ryan Porter on a 40-yard scoring strike. The Bobcats assumed the lead for the first time on Holden’s two-yard run in the second. On the extra-point conversion, Palmer’s pass was tipped in the air by Seton’s Javon Reagan. Porter grabbed the loose ball, and dove into the endzone for the two-pointer.
Score by quarters
SCC 6 8 0 6–20
B-G 6 8 12 0–26
Scoring Summary
First quarter
S: Cole Mallory 9 run (kick failed)
BG: Corbin Palmer 40 pass to Ryan Porter (kick failed)
Second quarter
BG: Billy Holden 2 run (Palmer pass to Porter)
S: Mallory 11 run (Scepaniak pass to Pat Gosney)
Third quarter
BG: Jacob Mazzarella 3 run (run failed)
BG: Mazzarella 20 run (pass failed)
Fourth quarter
S: Caleb Scepaniak 3 run (run failed)
Team Summary
BG S
First downs 13 23
Rushes-yds 43-190 50-284
Passing yds 112 212
Comp-att-int 4-9-0 10-23-3
Punts-avg 1-47 1-39
Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-0
Penalties-yds 3-12 3-30
Individual Statistics
Rushing: (BG) Billy Holden, 24-115; Jake Mazzarella, 15-88; Tyler Ouimet, 1-(-5); Corbin Palmer, 3-(-8). (S) Cole Mallory, 22-152; Joe Crowley, 11-80; Caleb Scepaniak, 16-46; John Kline, 1-6.
Passing: (BG) Corbin Palmer, 4-9-0, 112 yards, TD; Caleb Scepaniak, 10-22-3, 212 yards; Mallory, 0-1-0, 0 yds.
Receiving: (BG) Ryan Porter, 3-94, Tyler Ouimet, 1-18. (S) Cole Mallory, 3-137; Pat Gosney, 2-30; Joe Craowley, 2-23; John Ferranti, 2-18; Javon Reagan, 1-4.