BOX SCORE

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After a last-second touchdown pass from Aaron Smetanka to Dan Wirkowski to sent the game into overtime, Saint Vincent fell to Geneva by a final score of 23-20.
 
Trailing 20-13, the Saint Vincent defense forced Geneva to punt with :54 left in regulation. The Bearcats partially blocked the punt attempt and, with no timeouts remaining, Saint Vincent embarked on one last drive from its own 41-yard line.
 
With just under five seconds left, the Bearcats took one last shot to the end zone. Smetanka threw a jump ball to the end zone and Wirkowski came down with it as time expired. Morgan Porter nailed the extra point and the Bearcats sent the game into overtime tied at 20.
 
Saint Vincent got the ball to start the overtime period. Unable to pick-up a first down, Saint Vincent was forced to attempt a 37-yard field goal but Porter's kick sailed wide left and Geneva took over on offense.
 
The Geneva offense did not have much success on offense in the first overtime either, going three-and-out and leaving kicker Bryan Visingardi with a 41-yard field goal attempt. His kick just managed to clear the cross bar and gave Geneva the 23-20 win.
 
The Bearcats' opening drive saw Saint Vincent move the ball steadily down the field before stalling at the Geneva 35-yard line. The Saint Vincent defense then forced a three-and-out on the Golden Tornadoes first possession. On the ensuing Geneva  punt, Dan Wirkowski returned the ball to the Golden Tornadoes five-yard line but the play was negated on an illegal blocking penalty against Saint Vincent.
 
Four plays later, Huey Ehredt gave the Bearcats the early 7-0 lead on a 54-yard touchdown run with just under eight minutes left in the opening quarter.
 
The Golden Tornadoes answered the Saint Vincent score on their next possession. Geneva marched 84 yards in 12 plays, keeping the drive alive on a quarterback sneak at the Bearcats 31-yard line on fourth down. Two plays after the conversion, quarterback Zack Hayward connected with AJ Delmonico on a 29-yard pass, tying the score at seven with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
 
Early in the second quarter on first-and-10 at the Saint Vincent 40-yard line, defensive back Darius Brown preserved the tie score by breaking up a pass in the end zone that was intended for Corey O'Patchen. O'Patchen had the ball in his grasp but Brown recovered and knocked the ball out of the receiver's hands before he could secure the catch for the score. The Bearcats defense then stepped up and forced the Golden Tornadoes to punt three plays later, preserving the tie midway through the second quarter.
 
In the latter stages of the first half the Bearcats' defense stepped up in a huge way. On third-and-five at the Geneva 45-yard line, Armando Fortunato intercepted Hayward's pass and returned it for a touchdown. Saint Vincent missed the PAT and the Bearcats led 13-7 with 5:26 remaining.
 
Geneva got back on the board on their next possession. The Golden Tornadoes used a 51-yard pass play to set-up first-and-goal deep in Saint Vincent territory. The Bearcats' defense stepped up, though, and forced Geneva to kick a 23-yard field goal, making the score 13-10 Saint Vincent with just under three minutes left in the half.
 
Geneva attempted a long pass with 15 seconds remaining in the half but Chaz Coleman picked off Rocco Collavecchia's pass to give the Bearcats the ball with 12 seconds left. Saint Vincent attempted a long ball of its own but the pass fell incomplete and the half ended with the Bearcats in front 13-10.
 
Ehredt rushed for 79 yards on eight carries to lead the Saint Vincent rushing attack in the first half. Quarterback Aaron Smetanka was 5-for-10 with 53 yards passing while receiver Ricky Douglas had two catches for 28 yards in the opening half. Defensively, Fortunato and Anthony Johnson each had five tackles.
 
Geneva did not waste much time in regaining the lead at the start of the second half. Hayward connected with O'Patchen on a 55-yard touchdown pass and the Golden Tornadoes held the lead for the first time in the game, 17-13.
 
Saint Vincent attempted to cut the deficit to one on their first possession of the second half but Porter's 40-yard field goal attempt fell short and the Bearcats continued to trail by four.
 
On their next possession, Saint Vincent had first-and-goal inside the Geneva five-yard line. Aided by a false start penalty against the Bearcats, the Geneva defense forced the Bearcats into a field goal situation on fourth down. Saint Vincent elected to attempt a fake field goal but holder Jake Smith's pass attempt was intercepted in the end zone and Geneva maintained the 17-13 advantage after three quarters of play.
 
With just over 12 minutes left in regulation Geneva attempted to extend their lead on a 49-yard field goal. Visingardi's attempt fell short, though, and the score remained 17-13 Geneva.
 
With 5:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, Geneva again attempted a field goal, this time from 34 yards. Visingardi was able to convert on the kick and Geneva led 20-13 but the Bearcats remained within a touchdown.
 
After the field goal by Geneva, the Bearcats were forced to punt on their next offensive possession and gave the Golden Tornadoes the ball back with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter.
 
Offensively, Saint Vincent was led by Ehredt who rushed 19 times for 155 yards and one score. Smetanka finished the afternoon 13-for-29 with 139 yards and one score. Douglas led the Bearcat receivers with four receptions for 44 yards. Defensively, Fortunato had a game-high 11 tackles while David Ribero had nine stops and Johnson contributed eight.
 
Senior Zach Mihalko returned three kicks for 51 yards in the game and surpassed 3,000 all purpose yards for his career.
 
Saint Vincent returns home next Saturday, Oct. 8, to take on Washington & Jefferson at 1pm.