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Bisons win in dramatic fashion

PATTON — It all happened in a split second, but it was one of those moments on which time seems suspended, leaving wide-open Bedford running back Dylan Arnold the chance to form a complete, coherent thought in that half-moment.

“Just catch the ball.”

Despite the rain, the mud smeared over his jersey obscuring his No. 9 and the weight of a four-game losing streak on he and his teammates’ shoulders, Arnold did just that. He hauled in Davis Kline’s two-point conversion pass in the first overtime to keep the Bisons in the District 6 Class 3A playoff hunt with a thrilling 8-7 victory over Cambria Heights in a Laurel Highlands Conference intersectional game on Friday night at Patton Stadium.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Kline said. “We just wanted to get back on track with a win, and we played hard. I’m really proud of everyone.”

Kline scored on a 10-yard run on Bedford’s first play of overtime after a scoreless regulation to put the Bisons in position to win it following a time out to talk it over. After starting the season 3-1, the Bisons now are 4-5 — they’ll have another huge road game next Friday at Forest Hills with a spot in the postseason likely on the line.

“It was the kind of game that neither team really could move the ball. It’s a shame somebody had to lose,” Bedford coach Kevin Steele said.

Cambria Heights coach Jarrod Lewis was crestfallen. The loss snappped a four-game winning streak which put the Highlanders firmly in position to capture a playoff spot of their own in District 6 Class 2A.

Heights (4-5) controlled the play in the first half, driving once to the Bison 24 and later to the Bedford 42 but coming away empty. The Highlanders had great field position to start the second half after Nick Brawley’s 57-yard kickoff return, but 255-pound converted lineman Evan Bobby was stopped for a 2-yard gain on fourth-and-3 from the Bison 20.

Cambria Heights travels to 8-1 Johnstown next week.

“I told (the players) to keep their heads up. It’s tough. Overtime’s tough,” Lewis said. “We moved the ball early and stalled out on a couple of drives. When no one scores in regulation, (turning one of those possessions into points) would have been a huge difference.”

The wet, muddy field made it hard to get any footing. The teams combined for 260 yards and 11 first downs.

Heights broke the ice on the second play of overtime, when Ben Yahner plowed over from the 3. Adam Bobak’s PAT sliced Bedford’s margin of error to none.

The Bisons were up to the challenge. It appeared Bedford’s running back was hit for a 2-yard loss on the Bisons’ first play of overtime, but Kline, doing his best Criss Angel impersonation, appeared almost magically with the ball on the other side of the goal line, the result of a masterful fake.

“He’s a very smart player,” Steele said of his first-year starting quarterback. “He works very hard.”

Then it was just a matter of making the two-pointer. With the ball on the left hash, Arnold sneaked through the line and found himself all alone in the middle of the end zone for the game-winner.

“I wanted to catch the ball and win for the seniors,” Arnold said. “I felt confident in that situation. I’m happy that he did throw it to me. Either way, we came out with a ‘W.’

Kline said the two-point conversion pass was a play the Bisons practiced all week. He felt getting the win was a confirmation of the team’s resolve in overcoming the month-long losing skid.

“We’ve really grown close,” Kline said. “When we started losing, it actually brought us closer together. We stuck together and stuck this one out.”

Game notes: Cambria Heights was celebrating senior night. … Bedford players are wearing bracelets with the words “heart warrior” in honor of assistant coach Bryan Taylor’s son, Owen, who had a recent heart transplant and remains in Pittsburgh. … Kline threw for 58 yards and ran for 50. … Heights’ Cody Stockley rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Bedford    0  0  0  0  8 — 8

Cambria Heights    0  0  0  0  7 — 7

First overtime

CH–Yahner 3 run (Bobak kick).

B–Kline 10 run (Arnold pass from Kline).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Bedford–Kline 15-50, Arnold 9-35, Shaffer 6-3, May 1-(-2). Cambria Heights–Stockley 16-74, Baum 15-27, Yahner 5-14, Bobby 1-2, Williams 1-1, Brawley 1-0, Bearer 1-(-9), TEAM 2-(-2).

PASSING: Bedford–Kline 6-11-0-58. Cambria Heights–Bearer 1-2-0-9, Baum 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING: Bedford–Shaffer 4-47, Stickel 1-10, May 1-9. Cambria Heights–Brawley 1-9.

INTERCEPTIONS: Bedford–none. Cambria Heights–none.

TEAM STATISTICS    B    CH

First downs    6    5

Rushes-yards    31-86    42-107

Passing (comp.-att.-int.)    6-11-0    1-3-0

Yards passing    58    9

Total yards    144    116

Fumbles-lost    1-1    2-0

Penalties-yards    5-31    5-27

Punts-avg.    6-35.2    4-44.3

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