By ERIC FORTUNE

sports@vindy.com

Blitz Live | September 16, 2016

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Podcast Episode

Recap the thrilling match-ups of Week 4 with Blitz Live hosts Corey Crisan, Greg Gulas, and Sean Ferguson.

POLAND

Samari Dean and the Howland Tigers saved the best for last.

Dean connected with teammates Tyriq Ellis and Victor Williams on 80-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as Howland stunned the Poland Bulldogs 35-34 on the road Friday night.

The Tigers’ Stevie Baugh made two huge first-half plays to keep them in the game. He returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown and scored another TD on a blocked punt.

Poland led 21-7 and 31-21, but the Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1 All-American Conference, Red Tier) was unable to close out the Tigers (2-2, 1-0).

Howland’s last win over Poland came in 2012 when the Tigers last made the playoffs.

Maybe that’s a good omen.

“It’s a great win for our program,” Howland coach Dom Menendez said. “Any time you can beat Poland ... they’re a great football team and well-coached. Any time you can beat those guys it’s a hell of a night.”

Poland appeared to be in command after Mike Diaz picked up a loose ball after Howland failed to down a punt and raced 30 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-21 with seven minutes to play.

But just 12 seconds later, Dean — just 1 of 7 passing at that point — found Ellis near midfield and the Howland receiver did the rest. The 80-yard catch-and-run cut the Tigers’ deficit to three, 31-28. Ellis ran 54 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs then got a field goal from Colt McFadden and led 34-28 with 2:36 to play, but Dean and the Tigers weren’t finished.

On the ensuing possession, Dean found Williams on a similar route and Howland’s all-purpose threat went 80 yards for a touchdown. Kicker Luke Brancaccio’s PAT broke the tie and the Tigers eventually ended their drought against the Bulldogs.

“We wanted to play keep-away,” first-year Poland coach Ryan Williams said. “Those are Division I recruits. The more we could keep them off the field, the better, but it didn’t work out that way in the second half.”

The big plays enabled Howland to overcome a 17-6 disparity in first downs. Poland also outgained Howland 369-265 in total yards.

The turning point came with the Bulldogs leading 21-7 and in possession at their own 39 with 1:13 left until halftime.

Poland decided against running out the clock Howland blocked a punt, which Stevie Baugh returned six yards for a touchdown to get the Tigers within seven, 21-14, at the break.

Baugh’s interception return tied the game at 7 early.

“We had a couple of mistakes,” Williams said.

The Bulldogs continued eating up the clock in the third quarter running nearly seven minutes off the clock to increase their lead to 24-14 after McFadden’s 32-yard field goal at the 2:46 mark in the third quarter.

“At that point, we weren’t getting the right plays called,” Menendez said. “We were just hoping to keep it close. We did. We were able to battle back. We told these guys at halftime that it was a game of momentum and a game of emotion.

“Two weeks ago against Green, we couldn’t handle that. Tonight, we found a way to finish.”

The Tigers ran just 10 plays from scrimmage in the decisive second half, but made them count.