Carmel upsets St. Viator in overtime

It was heartwarming for Syone Usma-Harper and Carmel and heartbreaking for St. Viator.

Usma-Harper returned to the football field after a knee injury sidelined him since Week 3 and the junior ran for 165 yards as the Corsairs got their second win of the season with a 34-33 overtime win Friday night.

The Corsairs finished at 2-7 while St. Viator (4-5) was eliminated from the state playoffs on the final play of the game.

Going for the win with a 2-point conversion in the first overtime, the Lions completed a pass that fell just shy of the end zone, allowing Carmel to celebrate after its own dramatic last-minute comeback in regulation.

In what was basically a Hail Mary pass, quarterback Avery Bugaj scrambled out of the pocket and lofted a 40-yard bomb to Jalen Burton, who made a terrific diving grab in the end zone to tie the game at 27-27 in with three seconds left.

After the extra point failed, Carmel got the ball to start OT.

Three carries by Usma-Harper got the ball to the 1-yard line where Jonathan Lopez ran it in for the TD. Jillian Walsh's extra point made it 34-27.

The Lions came back to get to within 34-33 when Jake Ziebka lobbed a perfect 13-yard pass to Owen Hickey before Carmel's defense made the final stop.

"This really brings out a lot of emotions because I really had to do this for coach Blake (Annen), my teammates and the seniors," Usma-Harper said. "This game really means a lot to me and I just went out there with a passion no one has."

"The kids played a heck of game," Annen said of his final game as Carmel coach. "We had a few big defensive stands and we did a great job at the goal line to force a field goal they missed.

"And obviously on the last play. I told them in the huddle 'this is the last play so the game is over here, whatever happens, happens' and they made a play."

A 6-yard run by Usma -Harper gave Carmel a 7-0 lead but Viator tied it on Jeremiah Pittman's 1-yard run TD run in the second quarter.

Nathan Graham's blocked field goal which he caught in his chest and ran 10 yards into the end zone gave Carmel a 14-7 lead.

Ziebka fired a 61-yard TD pass to Joe Laterza to tie it at 14-14 at half.

"We put in so much work in the offseason to try and rebuild from a down year," Ziebka said. "To lose like this on the verge of the playoffs is really tough, especially for our seniors who put in so much time."

Bugaj's 28-yard TD pass to Jon Buckley put Carmel back in front 21-14 an 18-yard run by P.J. Scales with 7:01 left in the game tied it again.

Ziebka's 1-yard QB sneak gave Viator its last lead 27-21 (kick was blocked) with 1:05 left in the game.

Carmel then drove 80 yards in 1:03 for the game-tying score.

"We paid no attention to their record by we knew with Siyone back they were a different team than they'd been the last four weeks," said Viator coach Dave Archibald. "I love these kids. I'm so grateful for this group. It's gong to hurt for a while but they built a brotherhood which I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for the seniors and because I know the underclassmen have matured a lot during the season and they're going to keep climbing.

One of those is Scales, a junior who caught three big passes for 96 yards and rushed for 108.

"Obviously the outcome didn't happen the way we wanted," Scales said. But I'm just so proud of this team and the way we fought with so much heart."