Nov 16, 2019
BUFFALO, N.Y.— Jordan Evert (Amherst/Sweet Home) had 19 catches for 256 yards and scored two touchdowns, but visiting St. Lawrence prevailed after a wild fourth quarter, defeating the Bengals 31-26 in today's season finale.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: St. Lawrence – 31, Buffalo State - 26
LOCATION: Coyer Field - Buffalo, N.Y.
RECORDS: St. Lawrence (5-5/3-4), Buffalo State (1-9/1-5)
INSIDE THE BENGAL BOX SCORE
- Evert's 19 catches set a school mark for receptions in a game. He also set the school's single-season record with 92 catches and 1,182 yards.
- Zak Ciezki (Cheektowaga/Cheektowaga) had a career-high 327 passing yards, going 32 of 48 with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also the team's leading rusher with 62 yards on 15 attempts.
- Devin Delmont (Blasdell/St. Francis) led the Bengals with 10 tackles, and Gino Bonagura (Lindenhurst/Lindenhurst) had eight.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams scored on each of their first two possessions.
- The Bengals opened the game with an 11-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by Martin Bailey (Buffalo/Kenmore West), but the Saints blocked the ensuing extra point, and Kyle Frimel returned it for the defensive extra point, leaving the score 6-2.
- After St. Lawrence scored on a 2-yard pass from Tyler Grochot to Cameron Edwards, the Bengals answered with another long drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown grab by Praise Prawl (Jamaica/Flushing) to put Buffalo State back ahead, 12-9.
- The Saints evened the score early in the second quarter with a 36-yard field goal by William Manory, before both offenses stalled for the remainder of the half, keeping the scored knotted at 12-12 at halftime.
- Both teams continued to sputter in a scoreless third quarter, setting up a wild finish in the fourth.
- St. Lawrence struck first, capitalizing on a slip in the Bengals' defensive backfield, connecting on a 68-yard scoring strike to Anthony Ferraro.
- The Bengals answered less than two minutes later with a 10-yard slant from Ciezki to Evert. Following a second blocked extra point, Buffalo State still trailed 19-18.
- Jamie Battaglia scored on a 4-yard touchdown run just 1:37 later, but this time the Saints hit the upright on the extra point try, making their lead just seven at 25-18.
- Buffalo State went back to work and needed just over two minutes to find the end zone again with 2:23 left in regulation on a 13-yard pass to Evert. Ciezki then found Evert in the front corner of the end zone on the two-point conversion to push the Bengals in front, 26-25.
- The Saints needed just 1:18 to go 70 yards, however, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 1:05 remaining on a 4-yard keeper by Grochot.
- Buffalo State had a minute to attempt to answer and picked up three first downs and got to the Saints' 20, but Ciezki was intercepted at the goal line by Tyler Burns with 13 seconds left in the game to seal the win.
- Buffalo State finished with 500 total yards of offense, and the Saints posted 477.
FOR THE FOES
- Grochot was 25 of 48 for 328 and two touchdowns.
- Battaglia had 149 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
- Ferraro finished with 10 catches for 150 yards and a score.
- Burns led the Saints with 10 tackles and the timely interception.