Bulldogs lose overtime heartbreaker to Sharon 21-14

Senior captain Elias Camacho led the Bulldogs with 85 rushing yards and a touchdown. (Mike Barucci photo)

The Canton Bulldogs learned the hard way that football is a 48-minute game — and sometimes more than that — as the Bulldogs squandered a 14-0 lead in the fourth quarter before falling to rival Sharon 21-14 in overtime.

The second consecutive come-from-behind win for the Eagles extended their unbeaten record to 5-0, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-3. The next game for Canton is this Friday night at home against Mansfield beginning at 6 p.m.

Unfortunately, the loss dampened a great two-way performance by the Bulldogs through three quarters. Sharon did not have a first down in the first half, while four different Canton runners gashed the Eagles’ defense for 169 yards on the ground and a 14-0 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs lost the game largely for two reasons: an inability to hold onto the football (lowlighted by four fumbles) and an inability to defend the short pass. The most damaging mistake came on a Canton interception return with about two minutes left in the game, when the runner dropped the ball and Sharon recovered at its own 48-yard line. With that break, Sharon began a 52-yard scoring drive that tied the game at 14-14.

Both Eagle touchdowns were scored on short passes to receiver Brad Kaufman, who gashed the Canton defense for 20 and 26-yard scoring plays. The tying two-point conversion was scored by Sean Asnes, who just made it over the goal line on a sweep.

In the overtime period, both offenses are given an opportunity to score from the opposing team’s 10-yard line. Sharon won the coin flip and cashed in with a wide-open touchdown pass from quarterback Sean O’Neil to tight end Adam Banks. When Canton got the ball, the closest it came to the goal line was a four-yard run by Elias Camacho. A last-ditch halfback pass by Dexter Green on fourth and nine ended with a Sharon interception.

For the game, Canton had 241 rushing yards, led by Camacho with 85 yards and a touchdown. Green finished with 65 yards, while Shane Nordgren gained 56, including a 29-yard scamper. Quarterback Ian Flavin finished with 35 yards on the ground, including a 28-yard keeper that resulted in a touchdown.

Defensively, Conor O’Brien and Justin Rudy each had eight tackles, and O’Brien combined efforts with Joe McCabe on a sack while Sir D’Wayne Reid recorded a sack of his own.

After the game, Sharon head coach Dave Morse told his team, “It was the best game I have ever been a part of.” Morse praised his team for never giving up and playing hard to the final whistle. He took the blame for Sharon’s play in the first half, saying he did not adjust well to Canton’s offense. “Honestly, my players bailed me out,” he said.

Morse also praised the Bulldogs as “the toughest opponent we have played so far. It was a shame some team had to lose.”

CHS head coach Dave Bohane said it was time to stop talking about moral victories. “No excuses,” he said. “We need to win football games. Our kids played very well, but a game like this shows why you have to fight and execute right to the wire.”

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Posted by Mike Berger on Oct 11 2012. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.