Bayshore goes out with a bang, tops Mooney 14-10
SARASOTA -- In a season filled with disappointments, Yandy Rocamora and the rest of the Bayshore football team made quite a lasting memory Friday night.
For his 37-yard keeper that came with 57.8 seconds left in the third quarter to hold up as the game-winning score in the regular-season finale at Cardinal Mooney, Rocamora needed one more play from his defense in the final minute. He got it, as a pass break-up at the goal line enabled the Bruins to leave Austin Smithers Stadium with a 14-10 victory.
"It feels great being a senior and leaving as a winner," said Rocamora, a wide receiver and punter who was moved to quarterback 11 days ago when sophomore Ryan O'Neill suffered a season-ending ankle injury. "My offensive line and my teammates, including the defense, just held it down. We made plays when we needed to."
Senior running back Ashawn Angel finished with game-highs of 110 yards and 24 carries. He carried the ball on each of the Bruins' first seven plays with his seventh carry being a 4-yard touchdown less four minutes into the contest.
Bayshore (2-8) had chances to add to its lead, but each of its next three drives ended in Cardinal Mooney territory. An interception by Vinny Conetta with 1:55 left before halftime resulted in a 35-yard field goal by Jake LaFemina that pulled the Cougars within four at 7-3.
Cardinal Mooney marched 65 yards on the first possession of the second half. Conetta, who had a team-high 70 yards on 13 carries, capped the drive with a 1-yard scoring run.
The Cougars struggled to move the ball effectively in each of its next two possessions and it looked like Bayshore had sealed the game when Rocamora completed a 9-yard pass to Kevin O'Neill on fourth-and-4 from the Cougars' 35 with just a little more than two minutes remaining.
However, Cardinal Mooney would get one more chance as Robby Vassallo recovered a fumble at his own 25 with 1:52 left.
Quarterback Tristan Hillerich would complete a pair of passes for 15 yards before finding freshman Etienne Torres-Zamott for a 47-yard gain to the Bayshore 13. Along with a reverse by Alex Sobczak yielding a no gain, Hillerich's next three passes were incomplete.
"We got something going in this game and the kids fought hard all season," said Bayshore head coach Elijah Freeman. "You always want the season to continue. It would be nice to be in the playoffs, but we learned something about ourselves this week. We have to keep fighting and we have to build off this win. Hopefully, we can turn it into a great offseason."
Despite finishing the regular season at 2-8, Cardinal Mooney advances to the playoffs as the Class 3A-District 5 runner-up. The Cougars will travel to Fort Pierce next week to face District 6 champion John Carroll in the Class 3A-Region 3 semifinals.
This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Bayshore goes out with a bang, tops Mooney 14-10 ."