Winners of four straight coming into Saturday afternoon’s Central Coast Section Division IV playoff game, the Scotts Valley High football team’s goal was to extend it’s season until after Turkey Day.

The Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton football team had other ideas.

A 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jack Larson to wideout Pat Bruni with only 10.5 seconds remaining in regulation capped off a stirring comeback from the host Gators, who defeated Scotts Valley 27-20 Saturday afternoon in Atherton.

The touchdown completed a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter, erasing a 17-7 halftime lead for the Falcons.

Even with only a handful of seconds left on the clock, the cagey Scotts Valley (8-3,5-1 SCCAL) bunch nearly forced overtime.

Senior captain Victor Passanisi returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards to the SHP 29-yard line.

If not for a big-time hustle play by a Gators special teamer, Passanisi may have scored on the return.

“It’s two evenly-matched football teams,” Scotts Valley head coach Louie Walters said. “Football is a game of momentum. We had it in the first half and they got it in the second half.”

Down to one final play and needing a touchdown to force overtime, Scotts Valley senior quarterback Jack Pasquini rolled right and heaved a high-arching pass into the right corner of the end zone.

Intended target Andrew Stumbo got a hand on the football, but the ball was batted away by a Gators defender to end the football game in dramatic fashion.

“They never quit,” Walters said about his team. “Victor (Passanisi) almost ran that kick back. It’s been a great ride. I just feel bad for the seniors, they won’t get a chance to do this again.”

The two schools met way back on Sept. 23 on the very same field during the non-league portion of the 2011 slate--a game SHP (8-3) won by two touchdowns.

The playoff rematch began in an entirely different fashion.

Scotts Valley led 17-0 midway through the second quarter, spurred by an interception that setup a touchdown and a fumble recovery that was returned back for six points.

Senior Spencer Fogelquist sent the Falcons sideline into a frenzy after he picked up a SHP fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Two SHP turnovers resulted in 14 points for Scotts Valley in the first half.

Big plays on defense helped Scotts Valley jumped out to a double digit advantage, but three missed field goals and failed opportunities to score in the red zone came back to cost the Falcons in the end.

Senior kicker Noah Beito converted his first field goal attempt from 37 yards out late in the first quarter. He was only able to connect on one of his final four tries after that.

“Noah is an all-state kicker,” Walters said. “That’s just not him. He’s the best kicker in Scotts Valley High history and one of the best kickers in the state. It was very uncharacteristic of him to miss three field goals.”

Scotts Valley finished the year with an 8-3 overall.

Sacred Heart Prep 0 7 7 13 - 27

Scotts Valley 10 7 3 0 – 20