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Tallmadge fumble recovery, TD with one tick left forces first of three OTs
By Tom Gaffney Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, Nov 10, 2007
BEDFORD: Tallmadge did more than seemed humanly possible to extend its season.
One miracle finish in regulation was memorable, but it was not enough to allow the Blue Devils to live for another week.
Parma Normandy (10-2) got a 13-yard touchdown pass from Joe Paxitzis to Kevin Cesaratto in the third overtime Friday night to defeat Tallmadge 41-38 in a Division II, Regional 5 semifinal at Bedford Bearcat Stadium.
The Blue Devils (10-2) scored on a wild fumble recovery for a touchdown with one second left to force overtime, then scored 17 points in the extra sessions.
The Invaders, however, managed touchdowns on all three possessions in overtime to advance to the regional final next week against Mayfield, a 6-0 winner over Warren Howland.
''In a crazy game like that, anybody can win,'' Tallmadge coach Joe Vassalotti said. ''They made the plays to win. They are going to be tough to beat. I am proud of how we came back.''
In the decisive third overtime, Tallmadge faced fourth-and-goal from the 2. Vassalotti changed his mind several times about going for it before settling for a 19-yard field goal by James Plunket.
Normandy then made the Blue Devils pay when Cesaratto ran a slant pattern on single coverage, and Paxitzis threw a perfect pass.
''We battled back to get into three overtimes,'' said Tallmadge tailback Tyler Fortner, who scored three touchdowns. ''It was heartbreaking.''
The crucial part of regulation came when Tallmadge trailed 21-14 with 1 minute, 10 seconds remaining and had the ball on its 40 with no timeouts.
Quarterback Patrick Pakan completed four consecutive passes, three to Aaron Donze and one to his brother, Paul, to move the ball to the Normandy 3
with six seconds left.
Then came a play that always will be part of Tallmadge football lore. Pakan scrambled to his right and was met by the Invaders' defense. He was hit by numerous defenders and fumbled.
The ball bounced several times, went forward, and several Invaders had a chance to cover it. But Fortner came out of nowhere to pick it up at the 1 and run into the end zone with one second remaining. An extra point by Plunket tied the score at 21-21 and forced overtime.
''Luckily, Patrick coughed up the ball. I saw it and was able to pick it up,'' said Fortner, who rushed for 108 yards on 17 carries. ''I was happy when it happened, but I knew the game was not over.''
The Invaders and their fans obviously were stunned, but they also knew the game was not over.
''It was crazy. I was shocked when they scored like that at the end,'' said Normandy tailback Russ Galeti, who rushed for 88 yards on 25 carries. ''For the seniors, we knew there was no tomorrow if we lost.''
In the first overtime, the Blue Devils scored on a 12-yard run by Pakan. Normandy countered with a 15-yard pass from Paxitzis to Josh Ebinger.
The second overtime saw Normandy go ahead on its possession on a 1-yard run by Paxitzis. Tallmadge, fighting for its playoff life again, tied it on a 4-yard pass from Pakan to Fortner.
''I am proud of how we fought, proud of how we came back,'' said Pakan, who threw for 98 yards and ran for 70. ''We just made too many mistakes.''
Normandy took a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter on a 10-yard run by Galeti and a 34-yard interception return by Jake Squirek, who also contributed 98 yards rushing on 19 carries.
The Blue Devils got a much-needed touchdown with 3:35 left before halftime on a 46-yard run by Fortner.
A 48-yard touchdown run by Squirek in the third quarter gave Normandy another 14-point lead at 21-7. But a 10-yard scoring run by Pakan with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter made it 21-14 — and set up the finish to remember.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/.
BEDFORD: Tallmadge did more than seemed humanly possible to extend its season.
Get the full article here.
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