Burrell pulls out overtime win against Deer Lakes

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Friday, September 2, 2022 | 10:33 PM


Burrell needed overtime, but the extra session was worth it as the 2-0 Bucs pulled out a 27-21 decision over Deer Lakes on Friday at Buccaneer Stadium.

Burrell tried to win it in regulation, driving to the Deer Lakes 14 with 3.7 seconds to go. After two Lancers timeouts, Ryan Croushore missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt to send the game into overtime.

With Deer Lakes getting the ball first, junior linebacker Tristan Brothers intercepted a Lancers pass to give Burrell possession. On third-and-2, Chase Fenner scored on his third keeper of the game to win it for the Bucs.

It was the first overtime victory for the Bucs since defeating Freeport in 2019 and the first overtime win over Deer Lakes since 2007.

“Tristan Brothers was all over the field,” Burrell coach Shawn Liotta said. “He’s one of those guys who’ll go sideline to sideline. He runs like a deer and hits you like a Mack truck.”

Said Lancers coach Tim Burk: “This one’s on me, a hundred percent. I got greedy in the end, in the overtime. I take full responsibility for that call, and I feel absolutely awful.”

Two fine kickoff returns by sophomore Mason Jones put the Bucs in scoring position twice. Jones ran the opening kickoff back 48 yards to put Burrell in position for a seven-play drive from the Lancers 39.

After Deer Lakes took its first lead of the night on a 9-yard run by Derek Burk, Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Lancers 45, setting up a 39-yard touchdown run by Devin Beattie that tied the score just 50 seconds later.

“We were trying to kick it away from him. We knew he was a good returner,” coach Burk said. “It’s a hard spot to be in, but that’s football. We’ve got to go down and make plays.”

Burrell had the ball at its 20 after a Deer Lakes punt with 6 minutes, 5 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Beattie took over the game, rushing nine times for 88 of his 142 yards in the fourth.

Beattie and Fenner converted fourth-down attempts to maintain possession for the Bucs.

“Devin Beattie was a pure stud for us tonight,” Liotta said. “He’s a big, strong kid and made some great runs. Deer Lakes is a good football team. They made us earn this tonight, and they’ll be better for it.”

Derek Burk had another strong night for the Lancers (0-2). The junior completed 12 passes in 21 attempts for 129 yards: 65 in the first half, 64 in the second half.

Sophomore Zier Williams had 55 tough yards on the ground on 16 attempts for the Lancers

Ryan Cochran caught a 38-yard scoring pass from Derek Burk, and Connor Walker scored on a 9-yard toss. Cochran had five receptions for 62 yards, Walker four catches for 27 yards.

Burrell threw three passes on the night and ran 53 times.

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