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2OT Thriller

2-Point Conversion Sends Jamestown Past Clarence, 53-52

CLARENCE — Jamestown High School extended its football season in the most dramatic way possible Friday night.

Quarterback Drew Boggs connected with receiver Andrew Pumford on a 19-yard touchdown pass in the second overtime and then Boggs found Pumford again on the successful 2-point conversion toss to send the fifth-seeded Red Raiders to a heart-stopping, I-don’t-believe-what-I-just-saw, 53-52, victory over No. 4 Clarence in a Section VI Class AA quarterfinal.

The win advances Jamestown (5-3) into the semifinals next Friday at No. 1 Lancaster (8-0), which breezed past Hutch Tech, in another quarterfinal last night.

But no matter what happens from here on out, Red Raiders’ coach Tom Langworthy will likely never experience anything like what he did on a crisp October night in suburban Buffalo. In fact, the outcome reduced him to tears as he talked to reporters after one of the most satisfying victories of his career.

Where to start?

Well, freshman Savon VanSickle rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns in a brilliant effort before suffering a leg injury early in the fourth quarter; Fran Rodriguez added 141 yards on the ground and a touchdown; and Boggs completed 10-of-27 passes for 127 yards and a pair of TDs to Pumford, from 22 yards in the third quarter and the 19-yarder in the second overtime.

But the euphoria experienced by the Red Raiders, who trailed by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, would never have happened without the clutch right foot of kicker Jayden Schultz. The junior booted a 33-yard field goal out of the hold of Pumford as time expired in regulation to tie the game at 42-all, capping a 13-play, 71-yard drive. Langworthy called Schultz “money” on that boot, which split the uprights.

The teenager wasn’t through.

In the first overtime, Jamestown had the ball first from the 20-yard line, but failed to make a first down and Langworthy called on Schultz again — this time delivering from 32 yards to put the Red Raiders in front, 45-42. Clarence managed one first down on its overtime possession, but had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Jon Stevens, which moved the game into the second OT.

The Red Devils needed four plays, aided by a pass interference penalty, to score the go-ahead touchdown on Brendan Cimerman’s 1-yard plunge to open the second extra session. And when Stevens booted the extra point, the Red Devils led, 52-45, in a back-and-fourth game for the ages.

But Jamestown wasn’t through. Not by a long shot.

On first down from the 20, Boggs’ pass was incomplete, but on the next play he threw a beautiful ball to Pumford in the back right corner of the end zone. The question then became would Langworthy send Schultz out for another kick or would he opt for the do-or-die 2-point conversion try.

After a timeout, Langworthy sent his offense out on the field and the Red Raiders rewarded their coach on a pass route they had been practicing since 7-on-7 summer league. The game-winning connection set off a wild celebration for the Red Raiders, who survived several special teams miscues, including a pair of muffs of Clarence kickoffs, to extend their season one more week.

Few saw this kind of game coming, though.

A month ago, Jamestown shut out the Red Devils, 37-0, at Strider Field, but Clarence moved the ball up and down the turf last night, featuring a dynamic running game, led by freshman Zach Norton and senior Jacob Reger, who scored two touchdowns apiece, while displaying speed and quickness in a game will be remembered for years. Meanwhile, quarterback Jack Putney tossed a 42-yard pass to Noah Corry on the third play of the game, jump-starting a nearly three-hour game.

NOTES: Noah Turzillo led the Red Raiders with 10 tackles, four assists and four tackles for loss; Grant Moore had nine tackles, four assists, two sacks and two tackles for loss; and Kanin Tanner had seven tackles, one sack and one blocked punt.

Jamestown 7 12 13 10 3 8 — 53

Clarence 7 14 15 6 3 7 — 52

Cla–Corry 42 pass from Putney (Stevens kick)

Jam–VanSickle 1 run (Schultz kick)

Jam–VanSickle 2 run (kick blocked)

Cla–Norton 6 run (Stevens kick)

Cla–Reger 20 run (Stevens kick)

Jam–VanSickle 11 run (pass fail)

Jam–VanSickle 64 run (run fail)

Jam–Pumford 22 pass from Boggs (Schultz kick)

Cla–Stevens 2 run (McGrath pass from Putney)

Cla–Norton 57 run (Stevens kick)

Cla–Reger 31 run (kick fail)

Jam–Rodriguez 2 run (Schultz kick)

Jam–Schultz 33 FG

Jam–Schultz 32 FG

Cla–Stevens 25 FG

Cla–Cimerman 1 run (Stevens kick)

Jam–Pumford 19 pass from Boggs (Pumford pass from Boggs)

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