On the first play of the game Gateway's Brad Birch coughed up the football and Upper Saint Clair turned that into points as they moved the ball inside the red zone and got a field goal to make it 3-0.
On the next Gateway possession, Birch turned it over again, this time it wasTy Lagoni by way of an interception at the Upper Saint Clair 43. Upper Saint Clair did not turn the turnover into points on the drive as they had to punt.
Gateway moved the ball inside the Upper Saint Clair 10 and were stopped on three straight plays and were held to a field goal attempt. Upper Saint Clair's Aidan Besselman blocked the field goal and Gateway was held off the scoreboard.
Upper Saint Clair's Jamaal Brown scored the first touchdown of the game as he ran 80 yards to make it 10-0 Panthers with 9:07 to play in the first half.
Gateway got the ball back inside the Upper Saint Clair 10 as they were set up with 1st and goal. Upper Saint Clair's defense got three straight stops as Gateway was faced with 4th and goal from the 1. Birch rolled out and found Malachi Moore for the touchdown cutting the Upper Saint Clair lead to 3 points.
After a Gateway stop Upper Saint Clair had to punt and the Gators moved the ball from their own 36 to the Upper Saint 16, aided by two 15-yard penalties on Upper Saint Clair. Gateway would take the lead on a 16 yard touchdown pass from Birch to Dallas Harper as the Gators erased a 10-0 deficit and took a 14-10 lead with less than a minute to play in the half.
Upper Saint Clair took a deep shot and Gateway saw it coming as they doubled Besselman and intercepted the pass. Then Gateway tried a hook and ladder and the lateral was stolen by Nate Stohl and he ran the ball all the way to the Gateway 34. Upper Saint Clair kicked a field goal from 47 yards out and split the uprights making it a 14-13 halftime score.
Upper Saint Clair turned to Jamaal Brown's run game as he carried the ball on two plays and moved the ball to the Gateway 39. Upper Saint Clair attempted a field goal and Gateway blocked the kick and turned it into points as Anez Jordan returned the blocked kick all the way to the house for a 70 yard touchdown extending the lead to 21-13.
A pass to Cam Phillips went for 62 yards all the way to the Gateway 13 as the Panthers looked to answer quickly after the Gateway touchdown. Gateway's defense stood tall as they held Upper Saint Clair to a field goal try. Bennett Henderson split the uprights for the third time of the night cutting the Gators lead to 5 points.
On third down Birch was pursued by Mark Branbury for a 12 yard sack moving the ball back to midfield and Gateway would punt with less than 8 minutes to play in the game.
Upper Saint Clair turned to Julian Dahlem at quarterback for the final drive of the game. Dahlem's 48 yard touchdown got negated by a holding penalty. The Panthers had the ball inside Gateway's 40 with less than 5 minutes to play in the game. Dahlem would run for 14 and moved the ball inside the 25.
On 3rd and 6 from the 21 Dahlem got stuffed by Louie Douglas and Ahmad Harris for a loss of 5 setting up 4th down and 11 with less than 3 minutes to play in the game.
On 4th and 11 Dahlem threw a 26 yard pass into the end zone and Besselman came down with it in the end zone for the touchdown with 2:22 to play in the game.
Gateway took the kickoff to their own 16 to begin the drive. Birch made a crucial mistake with an intentional grounding penalty moving the ball back half the distance to the goal-line and a loss of down made it 2nd and 18. Upper Saint Clair forced a 4th down and long and Birch had his pass batted away by Ivory Travers as the Panthers held on for the 24-21 win.
"I don't know how to describe that one," said head coach Mike Junko. "Back and forth and a big play by Besselman at the end. A senior steps up at the right time. Unbelievable."
Upper Saint Clair will face Bethel Park as they escaped a scare against North Hills in a 19-17 win.
