VIDEO: Serra’s late long FG lifts Caper Tigers to victory

Posted: October 19th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

A Lower Cape May Regional High School football team that has struggled to find consistent offense turned to the right leg of Dennis Serra to claim victory Friday evening.

Serra blasted a 45-yard field goal – the longest of his career – with a little more than two minutes remaining to lift the Caper Tigers to a 10-7 comeback road win over Cumberland.

After recovering a fumble inside Cumberland territory with about four minutes remaining, Lower moved to near the Colt 20-yard line on a good run by Ryan Mallon. But a sack on a third-and-eight play took them to the edge of Serra’s kicking range.

“After the sack, my thought was, ‘What else are we going to do here?’” Lower coach Lance Bailey said. “We don’t have a fourth-and-20 play in our playbook. I felt like we had to try to kick it. Dennis has had a bad foot the last couple weeks but he crushed that kick.”

The field goal, which was executed after a strong snap by Will Torres and a perfect hold by Zac Castellano, was Serra’s sixth of the season and eclipsed his previous career long by three yards.

“I looked at (special teams coach) Paul Baruffi and he kind of gave me the, ‘I’m not sure’ look but I just said we’re going to kick it,” Bailey said. “It was into a little bit of a breeze, but he crushed it.”

DENNIS SERRA

Lower trailed 7-0 at the half but tied the game on a 47-yard touchdown pass from David Douglass to John Fernandez and Serra’s extra-point kick late in the third quarter.

“It was a hitch-and-go play and the ball was kind of up for grabs,” Bailey said. “John went up and played basketball and rebounded the ball and off he went.”

The Caper Tigers improved to 2-6 with the win.

“It was a great win for us,” Bailey said. “I know our wins and losses don’t look good on paper, but with the schedule we’ve played, what it’s done is, it’s toughened us up. We’re a much tougher football team now than we were in August and September. And when you look at our schedule, every team we’ve played is either already in the playoffs or is right there with a chance of getting in the playoffs.”

Lower finishes the regular season at Oakcrest on Friday. The team will then most likely play at least one consolation game.

(Video clips courtesy Will Garoh)