MONROE, CT — Friday night’s football game between host Masuk High School and Joel Barlow of Redding had a little of everything — lead changes, clutch plays on offense, defense and special teams, penalty flags and intermittent rain.
In the end, the Barlow Falcons pulled out a 36-35 win over a Masuk lineup that featured several reserve players.
Masuk built a 13-0 lead and held a 13-12 edge at halftime. Barlow reeled off two-dozen straight points to build a 24-13 lead, before the Panthers clawed back. Down 30-20, Masuk scored the next 15 points for a 35-30 advantage, only for the Falcons score a late touchdown for the win.
“I’m so proud of the fight they had,” Masuk Coach Chris Pace said. “Our kids fought back and had opportunities to win the game.”
Masuk jumped out to the early lead on a pair of 50-plus yard plays as Brayden Callahan scored on a rush and quarterback Cole Henderson connected with Steven Curtain for a TD.
Barlow grabbed control for the latter part of the first half and early in the second half. The Falcons led 18-13 after three quarters of play and went up by 11 points less than a minute into the fourth.
Then Masuk took the momentum back. A 30-plus yard run by Michael Charland set up a 24 yard TD pass from Henderson to Ricardo Teixeira one minute after the previous Barlow score, cutting the Falcon’s lead to 24-20.
Barlow converted a fourth and five with a 27 yard TD pass for a 10-point lead with 7:20 left.
Charland’s one-yard TD run and Masuk’s extra point pulled the Panthers to within three at 30-27 with 5:15 to go.
Then the Panthers recovered an onside kick as Mateo Pereira pounced on the ball at the Falcon 48. Masuk cashed in with a clutch fourth down conversion of its own as Nate O’Hara hauled in a TD pass from 30 yards out on fourth and seven, with 3:08 left — giving Masuk its first lead since the first half.
Masuk tacked on two more points on the ensuing kickoff as a line drive kick slipped through the hands of a Barlow return man, who retreated to gather the ball — only to be tackled in the end zone. It was 35-30 Masuk with 3:05 left.
Barlow marched down the field and, despite penalties that resulted in second and 23 and third and 18, got into a goal to go situation in the waning seconds and capitalized.
The Falcons reclaimed the lead on an eight yard TD pass play with only 10 seconds left. Barlow failed to convert any extra points on all six of its touchdowns, but still held the late lead.
The way this game went, anything seemed possible and Masuk was given good field position with a short kick and a return setting the Panthers up with the ball at the Barlow 48 with three seconds for one final chance. However, a quarterback sack ended this wild contest.
Masuk fell to 4-4 heading into a Friday, Nov. 14, home clash with Pomperaug at 7 p.m. Barlow improved to 4-4.
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