WARWICK – Sometimes you just feel like you have to take a gamble.

This scenario took place at C. Ashley Morgan Field in the AA-II championship game on Friday night after senior QB Rian White all-wheel-drove his team 85 yards in the final two minutes of the game to pull Warwick within 42-41 of Minisink Valley. Twenty-five seconds remained on the clock and Wildcat place-kicker Mike Grace had already converted five extra points. So the question arose as to whether to play for overtime or go for the gusto.

Warwick coach James Sciarra called a timeout after White scored the four-yard touchdown, his fourth of the game. Sure enough, the Purple-and-Gold pinned its title hopes on a two-point conversion play. White rolled out and then hit Sam Careccia in the end zone on the right side to give the Wildcats the 43-42 epic victory. The win gives Warwick its second division crown under the fourth-year mentor and a record fourth overall since the creation of AA-II in 2003.

Coach Kevin Gallagher’s Warriors (3-1 AA-II, 5-3 Overall) didn’t quit in the final seconds, however, as senior signal-caller Kevin Freeman hit Jesse Valenti on a 52-yard pass-and-run to the Wildcat 31 with six seconds remaining. Valenti caught another Freeman aerial but the Wildcats clawed him down around the 30 to end the game.

Many Section Nine observers thought this could turn out to be a slightly lower scoring game than average for Warwick, considering MV’s defense combined with rainy and cold conditions. In reality, Minisink amped up its own offense and matched Warwick touchdown-for-touchdown.

With 2:15 left in the first quarter, things got going for MV when Garret Roeber rushed four yards for a score to culminate a drive mainly set up by Andrew Haelen’s long run to the Warwick 28. Sam Brown blocked Kyle Cazzetta’s PAT, but the Warriors had drawn first blood at 6-0.

A Chris Vealey sack helped the Cats to hold MV on its next possession and John Babin returned Cazzetta’s punt all the way to the visitors’ 16. White scored on a 3^rd-and-8 keeper from the 14 and Warwick grabbed the lead, 7-6, after the Grace boot.

But less than three minutes later, the Warriors went 54 yards in six snaps to score again. A 45-yard Haelen breakaway followed by the four-yard Haelen score got it done. A Freeman-to-Roeber pass for two points gave MV a 14-7 lead.

Two offensive series later, the Wildcats struck again to tie the game. Starting from his own 21, White hit Careccia with an unbelievable five-star, 38-yard hook-up to get the ball to the Minisink 41. Careccia's diving catch was a reenactment of an Etzel Field performance from a week ago. So, one Sam catch later, junior Nick Race hauled in a 12-yard pass followed by Careccia sealing the deal in making his sixth TD reception of the season. 14-14.

Freeman still had 1:49 to work with before halftime and he made the most of it. Several Haelen carries and a keeper moved the ball to the Warwick 37 and Valenti made a remarkable 25-yard TD catch with just seven seconds on the clock. Cazzetta came through for a 21-14 Minisink advantage at the break.

Warwick kept the scoring fest going as it marched 69 yards to tie the game at 21 on the opening third-quarter drive. White again beat the defense across the plane, this time from two yards out.

A rare defensive stop then took place and the home town crowd cheered again after a 62-yard effort by Warwick for six points. Babin made two key catches on this scoring journey and White capped it off with a one-yard sneak. Warwick had its biggest lead of the game at 28-21.

Tight end Joe Dawson pulled down a huge Freeman spiral on the ensuing Warrior trip downfield on a third-and-long. Valenti caught another one at the Warwick 25 and then an even bigger Freeman pass to get a first down at the three. Haelen finished it off on the next carry. Enter Cazzetta for a 28-28 stalemate.

Cazzetta proceeded to squib-kick and caught Warwick off guard by falling on the ball to bring Freeman and the offense back out onto the field. Great pass coverage by Shane Marchini on third down, however, forced another MV punt.

This time two Wildcat players bumped into each other during the kickoff return and the Warriors fell on the loose ball at the Warwick 20. Haelen proved unstoppable again as he made his opponents pay for the miscue with another touchdown run four plays later. Cazzetta kicked for the 35-28 lead as the clock read 7:27.

No lead was safe in this game as Dan Marggraff returned the kickoff 89 electrifying yards to tie the game at 35. The momentum just kept shifting back and forth and special teams were a very big theme of this contest.

The Warriors jumped right back on the horse and sustained a 72-yard scoring drive that appeared to have won the game with only 1:54 remaining. John Behler made several standout plays including a nine-yard carry and a colossal 28-yard reception on 3^rd-and-9 to move the chains on the Warwick 16. Haelen eventually would blast his way toward TD number four on the night from three yards out to post a 42-35 MV lead after the Cazzetta PAT.

Highlighting the Warwick winning drive were pass completions to Race at the ‘Cat 30, to Jesse Testa for 18 yards to the Warrior 47, to Babin at the 30 and again to the 20. Babin subsequently caught another White directive and fumbled, only to have #44 Testa save the day by falling on it with a loss of three yards. But Babin brought another one down to the four before White’s final touchdown on third-and-goal.

Jack George’s Cable 6 stats show White threw for 275 yards as he collected his 27^th touchdown pass of the season and rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries. Babin caught 10 passes for 142 yards and Careccia went 3-for-57.

For the Warriors, Haelen pounded his way for 168 yards via 27 totes. Freeman threw for 199 yards and Valenti caught six of his passes for 126.

AA-II champion Warwick (4-0, 7-1) now has a date on Halloween night with the Newburgh Goldbacks at Middletown’s Faller Field for a semifinal matchup. Minisink Valley plays AA-I top seed Monroe-Woodbury in the other semi at Kingston’s Dietz Stadium.