One tipped kick propelled the Ballston Spa football team to victory.
Jeremy Defibaugh got enough of Ryan Vaughn’s extra point attempt to send the ball sailing short of the goal post and preserve the Scotties’ 21-20 Empire Division victory over the Blue Streaks Friday night in Ballston Spa.
Saratoga (1-1) had a tie game in its sights after Kyle Willmott caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Luke Fauler with 2:02 left in the fourth quarter. But Defibaugh — who barely missed blocking an earlier extra point — leaped above Saratoga’s offensive line to make contact with the subsequent kick.
We knew there was a chance to get that one, said Ballston Spa coach John Bowen.
The game was going Saratoga’s way through the first three quarters. The Blue Streaks contained Ballston Spa’s running attack with heavy pressure coming from the edges of their defense.
`They were very dedicated to stopping the run, and they did a very good job of pushing us back on our heels,` said Bowen.
The momentum changed in the fourth quarter. That’s when Ballston Spa’s defense stepped up with a pair of critical turnovers. First, the Scotties (2-0) intercepted Fauler at their own 34-yard line. A short time later, quarterback Troy Gargiulo threw a short pass over the middle to Kyle Warmt, who got behind Saratoga’s defense. Warmt ran untouched the rest of the way for a 52-yarde touchdown that tied the game at 14.
Ballston Spa forced another turnover later in the fourth quarter. Fauler fumbled the ball as he was hit from behind, and the Scotties recovered it at the Blue Streaks’ 15-yard line. Three plays later, Gargiulo scored from one yard out to put Ballston Spa ahead for the first time.
`We gave them a short field for that third touchdown,` said Saratoga coach Terry Jones.
The Blue Streaks recovered from those mistakes with an 80-yard scoring drive capped when Willmott caught his third pass of the series from Fauler, broke a couple of tackles and raced into the end zone to get Saratoga within a point.
`He’s a great football player,` Jones said of Willmott, who also caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Fauler in the first quarter. `He battled some health issues in the game, but he came through for us when we needed him.`
Following the blocked extra point, Saratoga tried an onsides kick, but Gargiulo fell on the ball to give Ballston Spa another offensive series. Even though the Scotties punted after three plays, they ran enough time off the clock to make it too difficult for Saratoga to pull off a comeback.
`The defense for both squads was the reason why the game was what it was,` said Bowen.
Neither team has a lot of time to rest. Ballston Spa travels to Shenendehowa next Thursday, while Saratoga hosts Albany.
`It certainly goes a long way towards winning the division,` said Bowen.“
