A rare matchup of two No. 1-ranked teams came down to the final play, with Maine-Endwell converting a 2-point conversion in overtime to pull out a 42-41 triumph against visiting Waverly on Saturday afternoon.
Landon Rollo went in motion and took the pitch from quarterback Preston Ocker before outracing Waverly's defense to the corner of the end zone for the winning points, ending the Wolverines' 15-game winning streak that dated back to a loss to three-time defending Class D state champion Tioga Central early last season.
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That play followed a 5-yard touchdown run from Jaden Branch that brought the Spartans within one. It was Branch's fourth TD of the afternoon.
Fletcher Good's 20-yard run and a PAT from Hogan Shaw gave Waverly a seven-point lead after the first overtime possession.
Seven-time New York state champion Maine-Endwell (4-0) entered the contest ranked first in Class B by the New York State Sports Writers Association. Defending state champ Waverly (3-1) is New York's top-ranked Class C team.
Their first meeting in five years more than lived up to the hype, with the Spartans overcoming a 34-26 deficit to force overtime.
Branch set up the tying points with a 17-yard touchdown run in which he ran through multiple Waverly defenders. He added the 2-point run on a pitch play to knot the score 34-34 with 1:28 to go in regulation.
Waverly led 20-12 at halftime behind big plays out of its passing game. Ben Shaw, who threw for five touchdowns, hit Dalton Davis for a 73-yard touchdown with 7:13 left in the first half to give the Wolverines a 7-6 lead.
Shaw's 8-yard touchdown pass to Good was followed by a 17-yard scoring strike to Xavier Watson to help the Wolverines lead 20-12 at halftime. Watson's touchdown was set up when Waverly recovered a fumble on the kickoff after Good's score.
Watson's 8-yard TD catch and Shaw's PAT gave Waverly a 27-26 lead. He followed with a 26-yard TD reception with 6:36 remaining to help put the Wolverines up eight.
Branch had touchdown runs of 3 and 15 yards to account for Maine-Endwell's first-half points.
Maine-Endwell took a 26-20 lead on a 1-yard sneak from Ocker and a 30-yard TD pass from Ocker to Vinny Mancini.
This was the teams' first meeting since Maine-Endwell won 47-27 in the third week of 2019 .
Up Next
Maine-Endwell goes from one showdown to another. The Spartans take on unbeaten Chenango Forks (4-0) at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at Forks.
Waverly is home against Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour at the same time.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare . You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com . To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Clash of New York No. 1-ranked teams goes to Maine-Endwell in overtime
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