The 2015 SHSAA Nine-man football season is officially over for the Sacred Heart Saints following a 14-14 tie with Broadview at home on Thursday, October 22.
Needing an outright win the Saints put together a strong final game, scoring early in the first quarter when Austin Walkington took the handoff from Jantz Sawatsky and punched the ball into the end zone for a 7-0 Saints lead.
A defensive breakdown in the second quarter allowed a Broadview player to bust a few tackles and find the end zone for their first touchdown of the game. The two point conversion was successful and as the two teams went into half-time with Broadview leading 8-7. 鈥淲e felt pretty good at half-time,鈥� said Saints head coach Trent Senger. 鈥淕iving up just one touchdown while scoring one of our own, we felt like we were in control.鈥�
The second half started out promising for the Saints, as Joe Fulawka ran back a kick for a touchdown and a seven point lead. 鈥淗e (Fulawka) had a great game for us, especially in the second half,鈥� offered the Sacred Heart coach. 鈥淗e ran that kick back for a touchdown and that was our second touchdown, but he also ran a few big runs to really give us some good field position but we just couldn鈥檛 finish off the drives.鈥�
As time went by however, it seemed as if the Saints didn鈥檛 need to finish off any more drives as the six point lead from Fulawka鈥檚 touchdown stood tall until the final play of the game when tragedy struck.
Down 14-8 Broadview threw up a hope and a prayer with a Hail Mary pass on their final play of the game. Their prayer was answered, as two Saint defensive backs collided with one another while the ball ricocheted off of one of the Saints defenders and into the hands of the Broadview receiver for their only completed pass of the game for their second touchdown. 鈥淚t was either a fluke or it was meant to be. I don鈥檛 know what you鈥檇 call it,鈥� mentioned Senger, adding that the Saints prevented Broadview from scoring a two point conversion to possibly set up an overtime that simply didn鈥檛 materialize. 鈥淭he ref called the game saying that because it was a regular season the game could end in a tie.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 really have a set rule on that. We鈥檝e talked about it as a league since then and we need to get that figured out properly. Unfortunately when a tie happens like that you go back to points for and against and we just didn鈥檛 have enough points to advance.鈥�
With the season now over, the Saints, who finished the regular season at 0-3-1, say goodbye to eight graduating players as Brody Kormos, , Evan Gleason, Noah Jendrasheske, Joe Fulawka, Andrew Witwicki, Madison Wasylyniuk, Zach Sutian and Nick Peters are all finished their high school football careers. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of those guys. Every one of them,鈥� said Senger of his graduating players. 鈥淭hey stuck it out to the end and never gave up and I think that says a lot about the character of each of those kids.鈥�
