By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

POLAND

Poland placekicker Bob DeVito says he views games just as he does practices.

When head coach Mark Brungard runs field goal practice the last attempt is always a game-winning situation and when made, DeVito is usually high-fived for his effort.

That’s what happened Friday night, when DeVito drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired to give the Bulldogs an 18-17, come-from-behind victory over Howland in an All-American Conference, American Division game at Dave Pavlansky Field.

It was his second game-winning field goal this season. DeVito made a 33-yard attempt in overtime to beat Boardman, 10-7, on Sept. 12.

“I could do this every night,” DeVito said. “I need to thank my snapper, Justyn Madick, and holder Tony Chiaro, because they did a great job tonight in getting everything set up for me.”

The Tigers (4-2, 1-1) took an early 7-0 lead on a 6-yard run by Jaquore Marrs at 5:15 of the opening quarter. DeVito made it 7-3 when he connected on the first of his two field goals at 6:51 of the second quarter.

When Austin Wilson rambled 85 yards for a score a little over two minutes later, the Bulldogs (5-1, 1-1) had built a 9-7 advantage heading to intermission after a failed conversion run.

After a scoreless third quarter, Howland added to its lead in the fourth. Jacob Lowe made a 20-yard field goal and Marrs scored on a 2-yard run to give the Tigers a 17-9 advantage.

Poland quarterback Dom Petrony, who was nursing an injured ankle in the final quarter, engineered two critical drives that led to scores, with the last one setting up DeVito’s game-winning kick.

Petrony, who misfired on his first four attempts and didn’t complete his first pass until the 2:49 mark of the final quarter, found Dylan Garver from 22 yards away with 41 seconds remaining to get within 17-15.

That set the stage for more DeVito heroics, and the Poland kicker delivered on an onside-kick attempt everyone knew was coming.

The Bulldogs recovered after the ball bounced off a Howland player to keep Poland’s hopes alive.

Petrony passed to Garver gained for an 8-yard gain. After an incompletion, he found Garver again, for 18 more to set up DeVito’s game winning attempt.

“I didn’t feel as if I hit my onside kick that well, but we got it and that was all that mattered,” DeVito said.

Bulldogs coach Mark Brungard said that’s the reason you play a full game.

“We tell our players to go all-out for 48 minutes and tonight you found out the reason why,” Brungard said. “Dom on one leg at the end and wanted this game tonight badly. Howland is an excellent team and coach [Dom] Menendez and his team deserve a better fate, but I’ve been on the other side of tonight’s outcome and I know how it feels.”

Menendez said his team gave an all-out effort the entire night.

“Our kids fought right to the end and our effort was great,” Menendez said. “Poland is a good football team and well-coached. We just came up a little short tonight.”

Wilson led all rushers with 96 yards on five carries. Marrs was the Tigers’ top rusher with 80 yards on 24 attempts.