It had all come down to one final play and nerves sparked with energy.

St. Aloysius quarterback Regan Nosser rolled out on fourth down and five, the Flashes’ season on the line down 27-20 late in the fourth. Win and the Flashes were in the postseason. He needed just five yards to keep the season alive.

But top target Luke Burnett was unable to break open and the pass fell short of its target, allowing Sebastopol to escape with a 27-20 victory, the Bobcats’ second victory in a week. They defeated Mount Olive 17-12 in a rain-delayed game on Monday to earn the Region 4-1A championship.

“There was a little bit of confusion there,” Nosser said. “They forced Luke inside a bit, I threw it outside. I knew what I had to do, I knew it was there and should have got it.”

When St. Al defender Peter Halinski picked off Blake Germany’s pass and returned it down to the Sebastopol 40-yard line in the fourth, St. Aloysius trailing 27-13, it appeared a storybook ending for the Flashes’ up and down season was in order.

James Patrick had just scored on a 5-yard run after the Bobcats (9-2, 7-0) converted a fourth-and-short off a St. Al face mask penalty when the Flashes stopped Bill Mack Pace for a loss. The score seemed to put the game out of reach at 27-13 with 9:17 remaining in the fourth.

The Flashes refused to buckle and got their chance thanks to Halinski’s one-handed grab.

Nosser hit Burnett in the corner of the end zone for a perfect pass hookup of 24 yards and after Pierson Waring’s kick, the Flashes were back in the game, needing just a tying touchdown. A three-and-out by St. Al’s defense set up the final, fateful drive.

“It’s disappointing because we had some goals, but that’s the best game we played all year,” St. Aloysius coach B.J. Smithhart said.

Sebastopol’s Lorenzo Patrick played a huge role, both at quarterback and at wideout. He caught three passes for 68 yards and two first-half touchdowns, both in the midst of double coverage. He also rushed four times for 68 yards and completed three passes for 56 yards.

In the first half, the Bobcats jumped up 14-0 after Germany hit Lorenzo Patrick for a 41-yard score and James Patrick rushed for the first of his two scores, a 5-yard carry.

The Flashes finally got their offense rolling on a 9-play, 75-yard drive. Nosser capped the march with a 10-yard keeper to cut the deficit to 14-7 after Waring’s kick.

Then the Bobcats went to some trickery. Nick Boykin took the reverse and found Lorenzo Patrick for a 31-yard gain as time ticked down in the first half. Germany hit James Patrick for a 17-yard gain and on fourth down-and-3, hit Lorenzo Patrick for a leaping 17-yard grab and then as time expired, found him for a 10-yard TD pass with two St. Al defenders draped all over him to put the Bobcats up 20-7 at the break.

Nosser capped the Flashes’ second drive of the second half with a 1-yard plunge to cut the deficit to 20-13 with 1:57 remaining in the third.

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Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com