Tritons rally to end Seahawks’ 10-year streak
Eleven years of frustration are finally over for the Mariner Tritons.
The Tritons pulled off a miraculous comeback Friday night in the Black ‘N Blue Bowl, scoring the game’s last 28 points to earn a 57-48 win against crosstown rival Cape Coral.
It is Mariner’s first win against their oldest rival since 2004.
It came after the Seahawks led 48-29 in the third quarter.
“These guys played all night long,” Tritons coach Travis Smith said. “I’ve got no words. They came back hard. Tough year, and they came out on the right side.”
Giovanni Garcia scored the go-ahead touchdown with seven seconds left for Mariner (4-6). A two-point conversion pass from Cairo Juenegens to Dustin Culver and Tim Peters’ interception return on the final play completed the Tritons’ rally.
The game went down to the bitter end, and the loss was a bitter pill for the Seahawks (2-8).
“It is. It is. It is,” Seahawks coach Larry Gary kept saying.
The Tritons were facing fourth-and-seven on Cape’s 18 with 21 seconds left when an interference penalty kept the final drive alive.
“We got a bad call right there at the end,” Gary said. “Fourth down, and the referees That hurt. That killed us. That was the game.”
Peters also had a 78-yard run during the fourth quarter for Mariner. Chris Ramsey scored on a 26-yard pass from Juenegens to begin the comeback.
Juenegens threw for two touchdowns, ran for a TD, passed for a two-point conversion and ran for one.
Hunter Bontrager threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns for Cape Coral. He connected for two touchdowns each to C.J. Lewis and Issac Washington. Issac Stevens caught the fifth scoring pass. Washington also ran 16 yards for a touchdown.
Joel Machado and Chance Reiter ran for Mariner scores.
Mariner led 22-13 in the second quarter before Cape put up 28 of the next 35 points. The Tritons scored the last 28.
Logan Russo scooped up a fumble by Juenegens and scored for the Seahawks.
Peters had 118 yards rushing and Reiter had 137 for the Tritons.
Lewis caught seven passes for 130 yards for Cape.
The officials stayed busy all night long. The Seahawks were penalized for 169 yards and the Tritons were flagged for 110.
After the game, Cape Coral Rotary Club presented $500 scholarships to Starling Eustache of the Seahawks and Justin Iziarry of the Tritons.
Cape Coral 13 14 21 0 – 48
Mariner15 7 7 28 – 57
M – Machado 6 run (Juenegens run)
C – Lewis 11 pass from H. Bontrager (Stone kick)
M – Myers 40 pass from Juenegens (Wren kick)
C – Lewis 17 pass from Bontrager (kick failed)
M – Juenegens 2 run (Wren kick)
C – Stevens 15 pass from Bontrager (Stone kick)
C – Washington 15 pass from Bontrager (Stone kick)
C – Washington 42 pass from Bontrager (Stone kick)
C – Russo fumble return (Stone kick)
M – Reiter 40 run (Wren kick)
C – Washington 16 run (Stone kick)
M – Peters 78 run (Wren kick)
M – Ramsey 26 pass from Juenegens (Wren kick)
M – Garcia 10 run (Culver pass from Juenegens)
M – Peters interception return (no kick attempted)