Berkshire Kings Lose in Closing Moments
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Vermont Ravens scored twice in the last 1 minute, 5 seconds to hand the Berkshire Kings a 30-20 loss in the New England Football League on Saturday at Reid Middle School.
Ahead 20-16 with two minutes left at midfield, Berkshire (1-4) took a gamble, trying to put the game away on fourth-and-1.
But Vermont (3-2) made the stop it needed to make, and five plays later Clayton Torres found Jaron Jeffcoate in the end zone to to put the Ravens ahead, 22-20. Torres then completed a pass for the two-point conversion to make it a four-point game with 1:05 on the clock.
Berkshire took over at its 35 after the ensuing kickoff, but Vermont intercepted a deep pass and ran it back to the Berkshire 28. On the game's last play, the Ravens ran it into the end zone to finish the scoring.
Vermont started the scoring on its first play from scrimmage after stopping the Kings on their first fourth-down try. The Ravens took over on their 49, and Torres hit a receiver on a slant play that went for 51 yards; the two-point conversion was good, and Berkshire started the game in an 8-0 hole.
But the hosts went 55 yards in three plays to get on the scoreboard. Justin Bailey (74 yards) went 8 yards, QB Joe Wiggins (84 yards) ran for 13, and then Wiggins hit John Agustin deep on the right side for 34 yards and a touchdown.
The Kings went into half-time with a lead after a spectacular 34-yard run by Wiggins. He started out going to the left side, cut right and came all the way back across the field before going up the sideline and diving into the end zone to make it 12-8.
An 85-yard return on the second-half kickoff by Jeffcoate put Vermont back in the lead, 16-12.
Donnell McFarland gave Berkshire a boost early in the fourth quarter.
One play after Vermont picked off one of Wiggins' passes, McFarland intercepted Torres and returned it 40 yards to the Vermont 10. Wiggins ran it in from there in two plays, and Stephen Sumpter ran in the conversion to make it 20-16, Kings.
Berkshire's defense stopped Vermont twice at midfield in the fourth quarter, but the third try was a charm for the visitors as Torres completed three passes for 48 of his 169 yards in the winning drive.
Berkshire is off next week before getting another shot at the Ravens on Sept. 7 in Burlington, Vt.
