WILMINGTON — Maddie Fausnaugh threw the ball into the end zone, and Chloe Bedwell made the running catch with 1.2 seconds remaining as Saint Mark’s completed a comeback to defeat Padua, 30-27, in the first girls flag football championship game on Oct. 17 at Delaware Military Academy.
The Pandas took a 27-12 lead with 19 minutes remaining when quarterback Riley Bransfield found receiver Siena Evans on a screen pass that went for a 29-yard touchdown. Those two connected for all four Pandas scores. But the Spartans did not fold and went to work on getting back in the game.
Relying primarily on the rushing of Kimorah Neal and Bedwell, Saint Mark’s moved the ball to the Pandas’ 38-yard line. On first down, center Addie Till pitched the ball back to Fausnaugh, who pitched it back to Till. She handed off to Neal, who ran down the right side for a score. The extra point was no good, and the Padua lead was nine.
The margin remained at nine when Padua turned the ball over on downs with 4:05 to go, but with a running clock (except for the final minute of each half), there was no time to spare. On the first play of their drive, Fausnaugh tossed the ball to Till, who collided with a Panda but did not go down. Till streaked down the left side and scored, going 49 yards for a score.
The Spartans attempted to tie the game with a three-point conversion attempt, but that was unsuccessful.
Padua ran off most of the clock after getting the ball back, but Saint Mark’s held them, taking over at the Pandas’ 16 with 33 seconds to go. (The field is 80 yards long.) Neal ran for five yards on first down, but a penalty on the next play moved the ball back to the original line of scrimmage with time for just one more play. Fausnaugh and Bedwell made sure it counted, and the Spartans’ sideline celebrated.
