For the fans who traveled 3.9 miles to support the Mavericks, Thursday night’s game was an emotional roller coaster, ending in a heartbreaking 48-45 overtime defeat to Episcopal.
The Mavs entered the game 5-1 and were looking to solidify their chances to play in the SPC championship game. The Knights came in with an uncharacteristic 3-2 record, looking to avenge last year’s 33-32 loss in which the Mavs successfully prevented a last-second 2-point conversion to preserve the win.
After getting blown out 41-7 on the Knights home field in 2022, the Mavs were looking for a little revenge of their own.
Running back Cole Allen was fresh off being named the Best Private School Player of the Week by Vype for his performance against John Cooper in which he rushed for 332 yards and 5 touchdowns and even contributed a passing touchdown. He got the scoring started with a 10-yard rushing touchdown, the only score in the first quarter of the 93-point game, silencing the Episcopal crowd.
The Knights responded with a touchdown and field goal to take a 10-7 lead. Allen put the Mavs back on top with a 50-yard score, his longest run from scrimmage.
After the Knights re-took the lead 17-10, the Mavs had a chance to score just before half-time, but a pass by junior quarterback Shea Quinn was deflected in the endzone.
Quinn started the scoring in the second half with a 48-yard pass to junior receiver Owen Almy. Quinn completed 12 of 24 passes for 220 yards.
Episcopal quarterback Brody Bartee threw for 351 yards, including three touchdowns of 40 or more yards. Bartee became the starter after Tyler Bloomgren got injured earlier in the season.
In the fourth quarter, the Mavs were down by 10 when Allen scored the third of his five rushing touchdowns with a 1-yard run on fourth down.
On the ensuing kickoff, Episcopal muffed the kick, recovering at their own 1-yard line. Three plays later, junior Jack Stanger on the Mavs defense recorded a safety, putting the Mavs down by one.
After the safety, the Mavs were facing a 4th-and-3 situation. Head coach Kevin Veltri made the decision not to attempt a go-ahead field goal. Instead, as they did 42 other times in the game, Quinn handed the ball to Allen, who took a quick pitch to the left and sprinted down the sidelines for a 20-yard score. Allen also scored the 2-point conversion for a 45-38 lead with less than a minute to play.
Just as Episcopal had done the year before, the Knights marched down the field and scored a touchdown. However, the Knights could not attempt a potential game-winning 2-point conversion because they were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the touchdown, which meant they had to make a 37-yard extra point just to tie the game.
With almost no time left, Episcopal chose to pooch-kick to the middle of the field where Yahya Mir received the ball and pitched it to Allen who reversed field and was finally knocked out of bounds at the 14-yard line with 2.4 seconds on the clock.
When the field goal attempt sailed wide right, an already exhausted crowd prepared for overtime.
The Mavs began overtime by recovering their own fumble and ended it by throwing an interception.
The Knights drive stalled, setting up a 37-yard field goal attempt by junior kicker Jared Pineda. When the kick sailed through the uprights, the Episcopal sidelines erupted in an explosion of pink powder and cheers. The Mavs, exhausted and defeated, left the game in silence.
The Mavs look to regroup next week on the road to Dallas to take on St. Mark’s School of Dallas.
