Stillwater 21   Haldane 20

In a Class D state semifinal where both teams, led, trailed and were tied, it took a defensive stop on a two-point conversion try with seconds remaining to give Stillwater a one-point “W” and send them to the state championship game next weekend in Syracuse.

Haldane, from Section I took an early 7-0 lead on the second play from scrimmage when Evan Giachinta scored on a 49-yard run.

But Stillwater answered with their vaunted ground attack, tying things later in the period on a four-yard touchdown run by Jaxon Mueller.

In the second frame Mueller doubled and tripled down with two more four-yard runs for points and Stillwater held a two-score advantage at 21-7.

Haldane narrowed the gap before the break on a Ryan Van Tassel 53-yard scoring run sending the teams to intermission with Stillwater holding a 21-14 cushion.

After the break, despite dominating time of possession including an 11:00 drive in the third that was stopped at the Haldane one-yard line, Stillwater was held scoreless.

Haldane was kept off the board as well until late in the fourth when with 1:42 left a Stillwater fumble gave Haldane life.

The Blue Devils connected on a 22-yard pass play on fourth down with :21 remaining, and on the next play Van Tassel found Gianchinta with a 33-yard scoring strike and Haldane was within one at 21-20.

The Blue Devils rolled the dice going for the win on a two-point try, but Haldane QB Van Tassel was hit as he threw and the ball fell incomplete sending Stillwater onto the title game on December 2nd at the JMA Wireless Dome where they’ll play top-seeded Tioga (13-0), from Section IV for the Class D crown.