High School Football Team Blocks Two Kicks in Final 68 Seconds to Preserve 21-20 Win

Cheshire denies Glastonbury twice after the Guardians recover an onside kick and get a second chance to tie or win the Connecticut thriller.

Cheshire's Simon Levine (45) blocked a potential game-tying extra-point, late in the Guardians 21-20 win over Glastonbury on Friday night. Just a few seconds later Evan Gonzalez blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt that would have given Glastonbury the win. | Bill Berg

One blocked kick in the final minute can win a football game.

Cheshire needed two.

The Connecticut high school football team survived a remarkable finish Friday night, blocking an extra point and then a potential game-winning field goal in the final 68 seconds to escape with a 21-20 victory over Glastonbury.

And somehow, those weren't consecutive plays.

According to Dave Stewart of GameTimeCT, Glastonbury scored a touchdown with 1:08 remaining to pull within 21-20 and appeared poised to tie the game with the ensuing extra point.

Cheshire senior Simon Levine had other ideas.

Levine broke through and blocked the PAT, preserving Cheshire's one-point advantage.

At that point, the Rams appeared to have made the play they needed to win.

Glastonbury, however, would create one more game-winning opportunity.

Glastonbury Gets Another Chance

Glastonbury recovered the ensuing onside kick, suddenly giving the Guardians another opportunity to steal the game.

Glastonbury moved the ball into Cheshire territory and eventually reached the Rams' 24-yard line, setting up a 29-yard field-goal attempt that could have turned the dramatic comeback into a victory.

This time, another Cheshire player delivered.

Junior Evan Gonzalez got through the protection and blocked the field-goal attempt with 10.9 seconds remaining, according to GameTimeCT.

Cheshire had barely survived.

Two potential game-tying or game-winning kicks.

Two different Cheshire defenders.

Two blocks in the final 68 seconds.

The second one finally secured the 21-20 victory.

Cheshire Had to Rally Before the Wild Finish

The final minute overshadowed what had already been a competitive game.

Glastonbury led 7-0 after the first quarter before Cheshire answered with a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-7 advantage into halftime.

The Rams extended their lead to 21-7 before Glastonbury mounted its comeback.

The Guardians pulled within a touchdown and then drove for another score in the closing minutes, setting the stage for a finish that became progressively more improbable.

When Glastonbury scored with 1:08 remaining, overtime appeared to be the likely destination.

Levine changed that by blocking the extra point.

When the Guardians recovered the onside kick anyway, they had an opportunity to render Levine's block meaningless.

Gonzalez made sure that didn't happen.

The junior's block of the 29-yard field-goal attempt finally allowed Cheshire to run out the remaining seconds.

For a team trying to protect a one-point lead, stopping one kick usually qualifies as a game-saving play.

On Friday night, Cheshire had to do it twice.