Bucks Get Do-Over at Nativity
FARWELL – Unless you’re in the NFL it is not often a football team gets a second regular season chance against an opponent but that will happen for the Bucktail Bucks this Friday night when they travel to St. Clair for a rematch with Nativity BVM.
The two teams played in mid-September, a rare Tuesday night encounter at Farwell, the Hilltoppers coming out on top by a 46-30 count.
While Bucktail had a bye last week Nativity wasn’t so fortunate, losing a Saturday game to 6-2 Pius X by a 64-22 count.
The September meeting saw Nativity BVM come out on top but Aaron Ransdorf will remember the first contest as he took the opening kick-off 85 yards for the touchdown as junior Anthony Intallura converted the 2 pt. conversion, the start of an outstanding night for the Buck senior.
BVM would answer right back on the second play from scrimmage, a quarterback keeper up the middle for a 52 yard touchdown, 2pt was good for an 8-8 tie at the 10:32 mark.
Bucktail’s next possession saw Ransdorf punting on fourth down; BVM’s kick returner fumbled the ball after letting it bounce once. Senior Brandon Payne recovered the fumble in a hurry on the BVM 22 yard line. Ransdorf ran it into the end zone from four yards out, 2 pt conversion was good from Intallura, the Bucks up 16-8.
BVM would answer again on the second play with a 55 yard pass and run for a touchdown, 2 pt conversion good (16-16) with 4:59 left in the first quarter.
Bucktail started on its own 24 yard line. With a nice drive being put together, it was fourth down on the BVM 20 yard line. With a fake double reverse, Anthony Intallura threw to Mitch Intallura for a touchdown, 2 pt conversion was good by Ransdorf and it was 24-16 Bucks as the first quarter ended.
In the second quarter, both teams would turn the ball over off fumbles. On BVM’s first possession of the quarter, Mitch Intallura would intercept a pass on the Buck 18 yard line. Bucktail would return the favor by fumbling on the next play as BVM recovered the fumble, setting up a 7 yard touchdown, 2pt conversion was good (24-24).
Bucktail was trying to run the clock out as Bucktail had no timeouts left. The Bucks got stopped on a fourth down play deep in BVM territory. BVM threw a couple of pass plays and ran it into the end zone from 25 yards out to start the halftime show, the visitors leading 30-24.
BVM received the second half kick-off and marched it right down for a score, then scored again with 2:00 mark making it 46-24. Bucktail would score one more time, a 19-yard Anthony Intallura run, in the fourth quarter as the final score was 46-30 BVM.
Ransdorf finished with a career game: 318 all-purpose yards including 178 yards rushing on 22 carries.
After Friday’s trip to St. Clair the Bucks have one more contest, the season-closer with Carson Long Military Academy, that game set for Halloween night, Oct. 31.
