Sports
Tigers' Comeback Falls Short in 22-21 Loss at Middletown [VIDEO]
The Tiverton High football team nearly overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and a devastating injury, but lost by a slim point Friday night to the Islanders in a Division III battle.
A thrilling game, but with tragic repercussions.
The football team snapped a three-game losing streak and kept its Division III playoff hopes alive Friday night by outlasting visiting , 22-21, on Homecoming Night at the Gaudet School Field.
Randolph Butler bulled his way to two touchdowns, Kevin Nash scored once, and Butler snared a conversion pass from quarterback Justin Sellar on a busted play to tally the decisive points as the Islanders built a 15-point lead after three quarters, then withstood a frantic Tiger rally in the final period to even their league record at 3-3 and their season mark at 4-4. Tiverton, meanwhile, received a three-touchdown effort from running back Kevyon Kronsberg, but saw its five-game winning streak end and slipped to 4-2 in divisional play and 6-2 on the year.
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But the Tigers lost more than just a game Friday night. Late in the second quarter, junior standout B.K. Kiser suffered a gruesome leg injury on an unsuccessful fake punt, required medical attention and ambulance transportation to a local hospital, and delayed the contest for more than 15 minutes. Unconfirmed reporters indicated that Kiser suffered a multiple leg fracture and his return to the Tigers this year is highly unlikely.
That sobering thought still hung over Tiverton and Coach Bob Murray at game’s end.
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“I’m extremely proud of our players and what they did in the second half because they had to face an adversity that no one in my coaching career (spanning more than three decades) has ever had to face,” an emotionally distraught Murray said. “We finally found a way to stop them (Middletown) defensively in the second half and then offensively, we got a rhythm going and made it a ballgame.”
On the other side of the field, Middletown Coach Art Bell said he was thrilled to get a big win on Homecoming weekend.
“This was a very important win for us because we had to win to stay in the playoff hunt,” Bell said. “This was the first time all year we played well in the first half, but in the second half, we made some dumb mistakes and they almost cost us.”
The Islanders held a 14-7 lead with 2:36 to go in the first half when Kiser suffered his severe injury. Aided by a personal foul penalty against the Tigers, Middletown drove 60 yards in nine plays – the biggest a 22-yard pass completion from Sellar to Camden Murphy – and Butler capped it with a one-yard scoring plunge 25 seconds prior to halftime.
The Islanders lined up for a conversion kick after the touchdown, but Sellar (the holder) bobbled a poor snap and was forced to improvise. He did so brilliantly, finding Butler alone in the left corner of the endzone for the pivotal two-point conversion that gave the hosts a 22-7 bulge at the break.
Middletown dominated the third quarter, but failed to expand its lead as apparent 41-yard scoring pass from Sellar to Butler was negated by a penalty. Early in the fourth chapter, the Tigers moved 80 yards in only four plays as Kronsberg sprinted 46 yards to paydirt with 9:34 to play to narrow his club’s deficit to 22-13.
One play after the ensuing kickoff, Tiverton’s Nick Barboza recovered a Middletown fumble at the Tigers 42-yard stripe and the visitors moved 58 yards in nine plays for their third touchdown. Quarterback Trevor Pavao ran five times in the series and hooked up with Taylor Ekstrom for a critical seven-yard gain before Kronsberg barreled over right tackle and across the goal line from two yards outs with 4:42 remaining.
Matt DeLeo (Kiser’s replacement) ran an option pitch from Pavao into the endzone for a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 22-21 and the Tigers got the ball back one more time, ultimately reaching the Islander 44-yard line with less than two minutes to play. However, Pavao was sacked by Cody Cruz for a seven-yard loss and Pavao’s fourth-down pass to Ekstrom came up four yards shy of a first down with 42 seconds left, cementing the Middletown triumph.
Long forgotten by game’s end were two monstrous defensive stands by the Islander defense in the opening period. The Tigers advanced inside the Middletown 10-yard line on their first two series, but came away empty on both occasions.
“Our defense has come up big for us during the past two weeks,” Bell said. “They’ve been playing well and showed it at big times tonight.”
Butler opened the game’s scoring on the final play of the first quarter when he climaxed a 92-yard march with a three-yard scoring plunge. After Tiverton tied the score at 7-7 on Kronsberg’s 24-yard touchdown scamper and Evan Nelson’s extra point, the Islanders responded with an eight-play, 65-yard march concluding with Nash’s four-yard scoring jaunt.
Both teams will resume their Division III schedules next weekend. Middletown will host Lincoln High School on Friday at 7 p.m., while Tiverton will entertain Burrillville High School on Saturday at 7 p.m.
