BURLINGAME, CA — Call them lucky. Call them opportunistic. Call them anything, really. The fact is, late in games, especially at home, the Burlingame Panthers have been finding ways to win.
After hard-fought home wins against Sacred Heart Prep and Hillsdale earlier in the year, each decided in the final minutes, the Panthers pulled out another gutsy victory, 17-10 over the Terra Nova Tigers on Senior Night at Burlingame on Friday. The victory guaranteed the Panthers a CCS playoff berth for the eighth straight year.
With just over six minutes remaining, quarterback Carlo Lopiccolo dropped back, pump-faked, and threw deep to a wide open Gray Goodman, who waltzed into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown to give Burlingame (5-3, 3-1 PAL Bay) its first lead of the night. Terra Nova moved to the Panthers’ 39 on its next possession, but on fourth-and-10, quarterback Nate Gordon threw deep down the sideline and was intercepted by Robert Uhrich, giving the ball back to Burlingame with two minutes to play.
Following a three-and-out, Terra Nova got the ball back with one final shot to tie the game, but Gordon was sacked on the last play of the game near midfield to seal the Panthers’ victory.
“We felt like, if we could keep it close, and get to the fourth quarter, we’d make a play, and that’s exactly what happened,” Burlingame coach John Philipopoulos said. “Our kids were determined. We weren’t going to lose tonight. Senior Night, trying to clinch a CCS berth, we weren’t going to lose. If we just keep that mentality, it’s going to take us much further.”
Terra Nova (2-6, 1-3) was clearly the better team in the first half. The Tigers moved the ball nicely down the field on their first possession before a holding penalty derailed them. They turned the ball over on downs in the red zone midway through the second quarter before finally capitalizing with two and a half minutes left in the half. Gordon capped a nine-play, 59-yard drive with a fade to the right corner of the end zone to Richard Walls from nine yards out, and Terra Nova led 7-0. Gordon completed 23 of 30 passes for 228 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Burlingame had a response just before the half, moving the ball to the Tigers’ six before getting on the board as the half expired on a 23-yard field goal by Aidan Faust.
The beginning of the third quarter featured several momentum changes. Burlingame got inside Terra Nova’s 20 after a 56-yard run by Sean Saunders, but the Tigers’ defense held and forced a missed field goal. On the very next play, however, Gordon was intercepted by Antonio Verrico and the Panthers got the ball back at Terra Nova’s 19. But again the Tigers’ defense held, and Burlingame turned the ball over on downs.
On the strength of a 39-yard run by Saini Saini and an 18-yard completion from Gordon to Walls, the Tigers moved the ball inside Burlingame’s 10 on their next possession. But then the Panthers’ defense stiffened, and Terra Nova was held to a field goal, increasing the Tigers’ lead to 10-3.
It was then that Burlingame finally got its offense going. A 50-yard completion from Lopiccolo to Goodman and a Terra Nova penalty got Burlingame to the Tigers’ 12, and three plays later, Alec Meredith punched it in with a one-yard touchdown on the final play of the third quarter. The game was tied 10-10 entering the final period.
“It was frustrating,” Philipopoulos said of the rough start for the Panthers. “They had a great defensive game plan. We remained patient, we didn’t panic. Our defense was playing lights out.”
Terra Nova started its next drive back at its own 10, but again moved the ball swiftly down the field. A 38-yard completion from Gordon to Walls got the Tigers in Panther territory, and a face mask penalty moved the ball to the Burlingame 22. But Burlingame’s defense came up big again, forcing Saini to fumble, which was recovered by Dimitri Rally at the Panthers’ four.
A series of running plays moved Burlingame out of the shadow of its end zone on the next possession, and then Lopiccolo suggested the Panthers try going up over the top. The play worked to perfection, with Goodman hauling in the long pass and scampering in for the score.
“Gray made an amazing catch,” Lopiccolo said. “Coach had a lot of confidence in me this week. My offensive line stepped up for me. I’m speechless right now.”
The Panthers were far from home free after taking the lead, but their defense made sure that the long touchdown stood, and Burlingame remained unbeaten at home and in second place in the Bay division. They also won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
“We could have easily packed it in, but we had a couple stops late in the game,” Philipopoulos said. “Our defense has really played big the last couple weeks. Great tackling, great schemes, great coverage down the field. We’re just really coming into our own on the defensive side of the ball.”
Both teams play their final league games next Friday, with Terra Nova hosting Sacred Heart Prep and Burlingame traveling to Aragon.
