MATTAPOISETT — For the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, Old Rochester senior quarterback Gavin Martin was on one knee praying. 

Old Rochester Regional High School had earlier in the second half deleted a two-touchdown deficit and taken the lead Friday, Sept. 13 against Bishop Stang High School. 

But with a few minutes left in regulation, Bishop Stang was driving down the field. The Spartans scored with 4 seconds remaining to tie the game and lined up for the extra point attempt to win, as Martin held his head down, still praying.

He remembered his coach saying field goals would be the biggest part of the game. Then, Old Rochester blocked the 1-point field goal attempt. In overtime, Martin ran into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown, as the Bulldogs beat Bishop Stang 32-26.

He said it was the “craziest game” he had ever played.

“I told my defense if they get the stop in overtime, I’m scoring that touchdown,” Martin said.

Old Rochester trailed 20-6 in the third quarter. For head coach Bryce Guilbeault, the come-from-behind win signals the resiliency and “intestinal fortitude” of the Bulldogs.

“It just speaks to our team, that these guys are believers,” Guilbeault said. “They believe in what we’re doing, and they’re fighting hard.”

The Bulldogs scored 20 unanswered points across the third and fourth quarters until Bishop Stang’s game-tying drive with seconds left.

“We didn’t make any huge adjustments,” Guilbeault said. “We had to clean things up. We weren’t making our reads on defense. We weren’t executing on offense.”

Martin threw an interception late in the first half and another early in the second half. He also scored each of the Bulldogs’ five touchdowns.

“I had to get my team back in the game,” he said. “I just took over the game. I told my coach, just put the ball in my hands, see what I can do, and I did it.”

Before Old Rochester’s touchdown in overtime, the defense first stopped Bishop Stang on four downs to give the offense the chance to score the game winner.

Martin said Old Rochester “did it all” — defense, special teams, blocking, running the ball, running backs, receivers.

“It’s just a team win,” he said. “A great team win.” 

It was the second comeback victory and second overtime victory for Old Rochester in two weeks to begin the year. 

The Bulldogs defeated Attleboro High School 22-20 in the season opener, in a game Martin said he thought “was the craziest” until the matchup against Bishop Stang that followed. On fourth and goal with less than a minute remaining, Old Rochester equalized 14-14 on a touchdown reception by freshman Benjimin Baptiste. 

After a Bulldog touchdown and 2-point conversion to start overtime, Attleboro also reached the end zone. On the 2-point conversion attempt, Martin, as a defensive back, batted down the pass from the scrambling Attleboro quarterback.

“We can accomplish anything we want to,” Martin said. “We just have to stay focused. Stay on that grind. Come out strong. Not wait until the second half.”