File Photo Nowaczyk

"I'm in shock," he said. "I can't even talk right now."

As he said this, Nowaczyk had trouble catching his breath. Fortunately for the Cougars, he didn't have any trouble catching the football.

Nowaczyk hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Dylan May with 13 seconds left in the game, helping the Cougars pull out a 35-28 comeback win over Middletown .

"This is the most amazing feeling ever," Nowaczyk said. "We were down, and we rose to the occasion. We never quit, we never quit."

That last line was worth repeating twice.

Two different times during the final 2 minutes, 37 seconds, the Cougars (9-0) seemed poised to suffer their first loss of the season to a hard-playing Middletown (5-4) team that was fighting for its playoff life.

Middletown took a 28-21 lead when Sam Glushakow tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Pat Ryan at the 2:37 mark. This was the first score of the second half, but it was far from the last.

May, who completed 16 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns, helped the Cougars quickly counter. On a two-play drive, he hit Austin Carter for a 35-yard completion and a 55-yard touchdown strike with 2:12 left, cutting Middletown 's lead to 28-27.

As if this all wasn't enough drama, the Cougars decided to go for the game-winning two-point conversion. Middletown 's defense hung tough by stuffing the run attempt at the goal-line.

Catoctin's only chance at staying unbeaten hinged on an onside kick. Kyle Testerman, the Cougars' 5-foot-9, 155-pound tackle, filled this huge order by pouncing on the loose football that had just come off May's foot.

"I was pumped to go for it. I knew I had to hit anybody and do whatever I had to do to get to it," said Testerman, who held the ball high and ran off the field screaming after his clutch play. "It was the happiest play of my life, I think."

Taking over at Middletown 's 49 with 2:01 left, May and the Cougars began yet another clutch drive. On a fourth-and-4 at the 27, May hit Landon Routzahn for a 13-yard completion. Then, a couple penalties added to the drama.

A holding penalty negated May's touchdown pass to Paul Barbour, but a roughing-the-passer penalty on the next play gave the Cougars a first-and-10 from the 14.

After a May-to-Zachary Krietz completion put the Cougars on the 1, May did a play-action fake and threw a touchdown pass to an open Nowaczyk in the back of the end zone.

The Cougars initially planned a running play, but Catoctin coach Doug Williams switched the play at the last minute.

"I was like, 'Here we go, you're number's called, it's time to make a game-winner,'" May said. "Luckily, Nick was wide open."

It was the first game-winning touchdown catch of Nowaczyk's career.

Testerman cramped up on the play and was on the turf as the play unfolded.

"I laid there," said Testerman, who laid with his legs propped up a bench in the locker room after the game. "The coach came out and got me and I asked if we scored, and they said we scored."

"As a spectator, you had to enjoy that," Williams said of the game.

In the first quarter, Routzahn broke a 61-yard touchdown run for the Cougars, and Barbour scored on a 1-yard run. Barbour caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from May with 21.3 seconds left, tying the game, 21-21.

Sam Michels had another big game for the Knights, rushing for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Glushakow and Ryan hooked up for two touchdown passes. And Michael Pritts, a call-up playing his first varsity game, made a huge interception to stop a Catoctin drive.

"It was a championship game," Middletown coach Kevin Lynott said. "I didn't expect anything less than what the game turned out to be, I just wanted to be on the other side. But the effort, the enthusiasm and playing together as a team -- it was a great example. I'm so proud of my guys, and Catoctin matched it."