CAPE ELIZABETH — Treyvon Murhammer and Tony Casale combined to stop Cape Elizabeth’s 2-point conversion attempt a yard short of the end zone to give fifth-seeded Freeport a 42-41 Class C South quarterfinal football victory over No. 4 Cape Elizabeth Friday night at Hannaford Field.
The Falcons (7-1) advanced to the regional semifinals Friday against top-seeded Leavitt (9-0).
Cape Elizabeth, which beat Freeport 21-20 last month, finishes 5-4.
“That was just a roller-coaster ride the whole game,” said Freeport junior Cade Benedict. “That was just a great ending to a great game.”
Benedict wasn’t on the field for the final play. He had collided with teammate Danny Casale on a Cape Elizabeth touchdown reception by Nick Laughlin and both required medical attention, requiring them to sit out for one play.
Two freshmen replaced them, and during the delay Cape Elizabeth Coach Sean Green decided to go for the victory rather that attempt a PAT kick that would have sent the teams to a third overtime.
“I looked at my starters and they wanted to win the football game,” Green said. “I said let’s go do it. It didn’t happen, but I couldn’t be more proud of these boys. They played their hearts out all year long.”
Freeport scored in the final minute of regulation to tie the game at 28 and force overtime. Quarterback Anthony Panciocco converted a fourth-and-8 pass to Benedict at the 1 and then snuck over with 29 seconds remaining. Gabe Wagner, the soccer goalie who kicks and punts for football, made the fourth of his six PAT kicks to tie the game.
Cape Elizabeth had rallied from a 21-13 deficit earlier in the fourth quarter. The Capers tied it at 21 when quarterback Gannon Stewart connected first with Laughlin on a 32-yard double-move touchdown pass and then with Matt Laughlin on the 2-point conversion.
A Matt Laughlin interception on Freeport’s next possession led to a 16-yard scoring run by Colin Campbell with five minutes remaining. Alex Morin’s PAT kick made it 28-21.
Freeport won the coin toss after regulation and opted to play defense first as each team was given possession at the opposing 10-yard line. Cape Elizabeth scored on its first play, a pass from Stewart to Matt Laughlin, and Morin made it 35-28.
Stewart finished with 16 completions in 25 attempts for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
Freeport answered with a 9-yard screen pass to Benedict on third down, and Wagner booted the PAT to force a second overtime.
This time, Freeport opened on offense. After an incompletion, Panciocco scrambled for 9 yards to the 1 and Adam Ulrickson bulled in from there. Wagner’s kick made it 42-35, setting up Cape Elizabeth’s final possession. Campbell (79 yards) ran 4 yards on first down and Stewart threaded a slant to Nick Laughlin for the touchdown on second down.
In late September, the Capers fell 34-33 to Wells after eschewing a tie in the final minute and attempting to go ahead with a 2-point conversion pass. On Friday night, they sent Campbell up the middle but Murhammer and Casale denied them again.
“They’re a very good team over there, very well-coached,” said Freeport Coach Paul St. Pierre. “We’re very lucky to get out of here with a win.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
