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Bellaire Edges Cambridge in Triple Overtime Thriller

Porter Drills Extra Point to Win Game

BELLAIRE — If a coach is to list ideal springboards into the second half of the season, a triple overtime, gut-check victory might be included.

Battling through soaring temperatures and humidity, Bellaire and Cambridge both left it all on the grass at Nelson Field on Saturday afternoon.

In the end, after more than three hours of football, the Big Reds watched senior quarterback Bobby Roth sneak the ball into the end zone to tie the game and classmate Cole Porter drilled the point after try, giving Bellaire the cherished 20-19 victory, making it a happy Homecoming.

“That’s a game you kind of hope that no one has to lose,” Bellaire coach Mark Spigarelli said. “Two teams battling it out from the first play to the last play. Both teams made plays and it just came down to the end when we were able to make one more play.”

Bellaire’s one extra play came on the PAT. Cambridge had scored first in the third overtime when junior Justin Bartlett hauled in a 20-yard pass from senior David Moore.

However, after spending a timeout, Cambridge coach Josh Lowery elected to go for two. The Bobcats had just missed a 20-yard field goal that would have won the game in the second overtime.

“Our kickers actually had to leave because they had a (soccer) game at Maysville, so they left at halftime,” Lowery said. “We tried to kick a couple with a few other guys and it wasn’t working out, so we thought, ‘the (heck) with it, let’s just go and if it happens, great. If not? It is what it is.”

The try for two ended up being stuffed, which left the door open for the Big Reds. However, Bellaire had been unable to get any offense going in the prior OT sessions. It had minus-5 yards and two interceptions on its prior two possessions.

In the third overtime, Spigarelli put the ball in the hands of Porter, who is his All-Ohio running back. Porter, who had been bottled up most of the afternoon, ripped off 17 on the first carry. Then got to the 1, setting up the Roth run.

“At the end, Coach (Mike) Sherwood helped make the (play) call,” Spigarelli said. “We went wing and ran the toss to the other side. Actually, we just threw that in there. Porter is a man among boys when we can give him the ball and he’s a winner.”

Spigarelli complimented senior Chase Nolan’s snap and Jake Heatherington’s hold on the Porter PAT.

Before the game got to the extra sessions, it appeared Cambridge was on its way to handing the Big Reds their second straight home loss. The Bobcats capitalized on one of four Big Reds turnovers when senior Travon Jeffrey ran into the end zone from 3 yards out. The PAT was kicked by Sean Perkins, who had caught 51-yard touchdown earlier in the game.

The Big Reds, who had been out of sync offensively for much of the afternoon, answered impressively. They marched 76 yards in 90 seconds. Roth found talented sophomore tight end Colt Sechrest on a 31-yard touchdown with just 24 seconds to play in regulation.

The coaches then traded time outs before Spigarelli sent the kicking team out and Porter connected on the game-tying PAT.

“I am happy with how our kids competed from start to finish,” Spigarelli said. “Everyone knows this. I didn’t like how these kids competed during basketball and baseball last year, so I quit going to the games, but (Saturday) they competed all the way to the end. There were some good plays and bad plays, but we fought and competed all the way to the end.”

Roth finished the game 21 of 43 for 208 yards. He threw two touchdowns, including a 34-yarder to senior A.J. McCarthy, who caught six passes for 61 yards, to begin the scoring the early portion of the third quarter. Porter, who had two big catches on the game-tying drive, finished with 81 yards of offense.

Cambridge was led by Jeffrey’s 99-yard effort on the ground. Moore finished 17 of 32 for 182 through the air.

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