Just 6:57 showed on the game clock when T.J. Develin scampered in from 35 yards out to give Boyertown a 12-6 lead in Fridayˆ's non-league game against Conrad Weiser, setting off a giddy celebration on the Bearsˆ' packed sidelines.

But on a night when the Bears struggled with ill-timed penalties, dropped passes and just too many mistakes, the celebration was almost predictably premature as the never-say-die Scouts staged a heroic comeback. Junior Darnell White capped off a gutsy 68-yard scoring drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, and Alex Eplerˆ's extra point - the first extra point for either team on the night - gave the Scouts a 13-12 lead with just over a minute remaining. They held on for the big win.

"This hurts a lot," said Bears coach Ron Zeiber. "We should have performed better. You always mind losing, but itˆ's really tough to swallow when you play so poorly. We didnˆ't deserve to come out with a win the way we played tonight.

"They played a very good game. They deserved to win. Our guys didnˆ't expect it to be this tough a game. We told them how tough it was going to be and how good Weiser was, but we didnˆ't get it done when we needed to."

If the Bears thought they would be in for an easy time, those thoughts were put to rest in a scoreless first half that featured a whole lot of defense and not very much offense by either team. Boyertownˆ's defense continued to control the line of scrimmage in the second half, and it seemed as though the Bears might get the break they needed when defensive lineman Joe Fusco pounced on a fumble at the Scoutsˆ' 45-yard line late in the third quarter.

The Bears couldnˆ't capitalize, and it was three downs and out. Two plays later, Fusco recovered another fumble, and after a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was assessed on the Scouts, the Bears took over on Weiserˆ's 24-yard line. They could not collect a first down.

"The mistakes we made were killing us," said Zeiber. "We had about five dropped passes at crucial times. We just didnˆ't get the first downs when we needed them."

Still, the Bearsˆ' defense refused to bend, and it was three and done for the Scouts. The Bears took over on the Scoutsˆ' 36, and sparked by a huge 19-yard run on third-and-10 by quarterback Dave Mazzola, the Bears began to move the football. An 8-yard completion to Paul Crognale set the stage for a pair of Mazzola runs, the latter from 6 yards out for a touchdown to give the Bears a 6-0 lead with 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

On the Scoutsˆ' ensuing possession, Kevin Crooks capped a 71-yard scoring drive to knot the score 6-6. A short kickoff and a 27-yard runback by Boyertownˆ's Chris McGee put the ball on the Scoutsˆ' 35-yard line. It took Develin (11 carries, 91 yards) just one play to punch it in for the score. It wasnˆ't enough, however, as the Scouts came roaring back for the big win.

"The defense didnˆ't wear down," said Zeiber. "The offense just didnˆ't do the job. The defense had a great game. "Iˆ'm pleased with the defense. They were on the field most of the game. They did their job. They got us the ball back. Offensively, we didnˆ't get it done. We made too many mistakes." Twitter

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