Gallatin’s defense came up with two big stops in the fourth quarter, but a third stand eluded the Bulldogs in the final minute.
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The Putnam County Midgets wrote an improbable ending to Friday night’s back-and-forth battle by converting a fourth and 19 with 1:11 left into a 70-yard, game-winning touchdown pass completion.
The Bulldogs’ loss dropped them to 5-2 in the Grand River Conference and assured Princeton, now 7-0 in the league, an outright league title, regardless of this Friday’s results.
Circumstances worked against the Bulldogs, even before the game started. All-state kicker Adrian Hernandez was diagnosed earlier in the week with a torn quadriceps muscle. With Gallatin clinging to a 28-24 lead, Hernandez watched in frustration as a Bulldog drive fizzled at the Midget 19-yard line with 2:22 remaining on the clock. A field goal would have perhaps put a different slant on the ending.
Gallatin grabbed an early 8-0 lead when Cole McBee capped a long drive with a 4-yard scoring run. McBee was able to bull over for the two-point conversion.
Putnam County’s offensive unit began the game the way they ended it. Facing 4th down and 23 yards to go for a first down, the Midgets were able to score through the air when the primary receiver on the left side of the formation fell, causing the quarterback Levi Fowler to scramble. Bulldog defenders lost touch with Tyler Roof deep in the middle of the field and he hauled in the 27-yard strike in the end zone. The conversion pass tied the game at 8-8.
As he has done all season, Colin Beck got the Bulldogs out of a hole with a 56-yard punt to the Midget 9-yard line. A quick three and out resulted in field position for Gallatin on the PC 40.
Drawing the carry on 4th and 5, Caleb Boyd appeared to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, but he kept his legs churning and dodged his way to the corner pylon on a 35-yard scoring run. The conversion try failed.
A holding penalty nullified another Boyd TD run late in the second quarter and the Midgets were able to set up another score before the end of the half. Fowler threw up a jump ball and Carson Quint made the catch in the end zone with 31 seconds left in the first half, giving Putnam County a 16-14 lead.
The Midgets took a two-possession lead on the first play from scrimmage in the second half when Quint took a hand-off 80-yards and then threw a two-point conversion pass to Payne Pfeiffer, but the Bulldogs had an answer.
Gallatin’s offensive line blew big holes for the ground game, spearheaded by Boyd, Toney and McBee. Toney capped the ensuing drive with a 6-yard run, closing the scoring gap to 24-20.
A 34-yard pass from McBee to Gaven Gray put the Bulldogs on the path to another score and 28-24 lead to open the fourth period. A personal foul on the Midgets helped move the ball into the red zone. Boyd packed for 6 yards and McBee kept his feet churning and fell into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Boyd ran over left side for the conversion.
The Midgets came up empty on two subsequent drives, with the second ending on a Gray interception, but Gallatin would come up empty after driving down to the Midget 9-yard line before losing ground on a counter play.
A final GHS defensive stand began well. Cole broke up a long pass on 3rd and 10 from the PC 27, but Quint broke two tackles down the sideline for a first down on Gallatin 38. Tight coverage broke up a first-down pass attempt. Rains sacked Fowler for a sizeable loss on second down. Boyd broke up a pass attempt down the field on third down.
Fowler received just enough time to throw to Grant Sands, who hauled in the pass close to the first down marker, eluded a would-be tackler and dashed up the sideline for the winning score.
Gallatin travels to Trenton on Friday to close out the regular season, hoping to repeat last season’s outcome of a victory over the black and gold Bulldogs.