Front Page Victory

The tension doesn’t get any tighter. With about two minutes left in the game, and Conval clinging to a 8-6 lead over visiting Stevens High of Claremont on September 20, 1995, the Cardinals lined up for a potential game-winning field goal. Not again. Not after a year and half of winless football.

Transcript sports reporter Jeff Berlinicke takes it from there…

“The kick went off safely and went up, and up on a straight line toward the crossbar. The Conval players watched as the ball descended. It hit the ground and stopped rolling around the Conval 10 yard line.

The leaps of the Conval players went farther than the field goal attempt. The Cougars only had  to kneel on the ball to guarantee the elusive win.

‘It was was long time coming,’ said Conval coach Bob Marshall, (pictured below) fighting back emotions after the game. ‘I can’t say enough. There have been a lot of men who wanted this for a long time. This was for everyone—the boosters, the parents, the contributors. We all sensed a responsibility to get a victory.’”

After starting their initial season of 1993 at 3-2-1, the Cougars were winless until this 1995 nail biter. In the 0-9 1994 season, no touchdowns were scored, and the team was never close to victory. But the 1995 team came within a whisker of finishing 4-4 (they wound up 3-5), and served notice to everyone that Conval could no longer be considered a pushover on the schedule.