Barnstormers surrender 14-point fourth-quarter lead to suffer
first loss of season to South Bay Bucs, 31-30
GILROY – Jeff Hewitt’s game-breaking interception gave the Central Coast Barnstormers a 14-point lead with just under three minutes remaining in Saturday’s home clash against the defending champion South Bay Buccaneers.
But the local semi-pro gridmen – who seemed well on their way to extending their season-long, seven-game winning streak – let it all slip away in only 71 seconds. Two late Buccaneers strikes, along with a lucky bounce on a botched extra point, handed the formerly unbeaten Barnstormers a hard-to-swallow 31-30 loss.
“This one hurts. This one especially because we had them for three and a half quarters,” said Hewitt as he walked off the South Valley Junior High football field. “I thought we all kinda let up a little bit. Playing against a good squad like that, you have to bring it for four quarters. We had a fourth-quarter letdown. It happens.”
Hewitt seemly put the game away for the Barnstormers when he broke into the back field and leaped up to pick off a desperation pass by the South Bay quarterback. Hewitt pulled the ball in and ran it back 30 yards for a touchdown to put the locals ahead by a 30-14 spread.
“I came around the tackle and the quarterback had floated one over my head a couple of series before. So this time, I tipped it and just grabbed it,” Hewitt, of Morgan Hill, said. “A lineman had a little bit of my jersey, but I just slipped him off with my hand.”
It should have been the play of the game – but all the Barnstormers will remember is giving away 15 points in the last minute and 11 seconds.
After good starting position at the Central Coast 46-yard line, South Bay stunned the Barnstormers defense with a 29-yard quarterback scramble followed by a 17-yard touchdown pass.
The Buccaneers then went for a two-point attempt that was thwarted by Hewitt – who sacked the scrambling quarterback. But he was also flagged for a facemask on the tackle – giving South Bay one more chance. The Bucs changed their mind and kicked the extra point to make it a 30-23 ball-game.
Following a failed on-side kick, the Barnstormers took over on their own 32-yard line. But running back Jamar Smith fumbled on the first play from scrimmage to give the Bucs the ball back with 2:01 left.
The Central Coast defense held at its 27-yard line – forcing a third-and-10 situation. South Bay once again came up big with a 13-yard quarterback scramble for a first down. Then on a second-and-20, the Bucs connected for a 24-yard TD pass to come within one.
Near disaster for the Buccaneers then turned into a lucky break when the snapper one-hopped the ball to the holder, who grabbed the ball and rushed into the end zone untouched to put the visitors up, 31-30.
With 1:09 remaining, the Barnstormers tried to regain the lead – but they could not get a first down and turned the ball over on downs to the Buccaneers. After one kneel down, the Central Coast squad – predominantly made up of Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Hollister players – suffered its first loss of the season.
“Every week, win or lose, you have to keep on working hard and go into the next week,” said Hewitt, whose Barnstormers (7-1) will host another home game this Saturday at South Valley Junior High.
After the teams went into the half tied at 10-10, Barnstormers’ place-kicker Juan Rios booted consecutive field goals from 27 yards and 35 yards out to give the locals a 16-10 advantage.
The Stormers extended to a 13-point advantage when Smith scored on a four-yard counter run – but South Bay struck back with a quick 63-yard TD bomb to close out the third-quarter scoring.
