MAYVILE, ND – The Presentation College Saints rolled into Mayville on Saturday, searching for a reverse ending to their September 28 game in Aberdeen, one in which Mayville State stepped away with a 34-15 win over the Saints. Saturday afternoon saw the luck go the Saints way, when Presentation defeated Mayville State 51-35 at Jerome Berg Field in Mayville. Mayville State attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points, but the comeback wasn't enough in the North Star Athletic Association contest.
 
"Today was all about missed opportunities and not finishing," Comets coach Jeff Larson said. "We had chances to get off the field on 4th Down and chances to score in the red zone that we did not capitalize on."
 
The Comets were 4-of-6 on fourth down and went .500 in red zone chances. Presentation was perfect on fourth down conversions and in the red zone.
 
Mayville State got on the board first, with a 11-yard pass from junior quarterback Creighton Pfau to Gino Musick, who found the end zone to end a six-play, 70-yard drive that spanned just over two minutes of the first quarter. Joshua Portillo's extra point kick made it 7-0 with 12:18 to go in the opening quarter.
 
Just under two minutes later, Presentation tied the game on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Hunter Giffrow to Marshal Chace, capping a five-play, 65-yard drive and tying the game early in the opening quarter. The Saints then took the lead with 3:54 to go in the quarter, when Luiz Ferreira nailed a 40-yard field goal, giving the Saints a 10-7 advantage. On the ensuing kickoff, the Comets fumbled the ball, losing it back to the Saints, setting them up into good field positioning to widen the lead.
 
That's when Preston Jones capitalized. The Presentation runner scampered from two yards out, making it 17-7 Saints with 3:13 left in the first quarter.
 
Mayville State jumped back to within three points with a 19-yard run by Pfau. The 10-play, 77-yard drive was capped by Portillo's extra point kick.
 
Presentation's Trey Pajimula scored his first of two straight touchdowns with 3:01 to go in the half, on a 10-yard run. The second was with 10:19 to go in the third quarter, putting Presentation ahead 30-14.
 
Chace extended the lead to 23 on a 20-yard pass from Giffrow, before the Comets could get back on the board.
 
Down 37-14, Jelon Hilton returned the ensuing kickoff to the endzone, 85 yards, for a Comet touchdown. The Comets would trail 37-21.
 
Presentation countered midway through the fourth, a 13-yard run by Preston Jones.
 
Mayville State's first fourth quarter score came with 3:51 left, as Pfau connected with Jacquante Pitts for a five-yard pass. Presentation countered two minutes later on the next drive, and the Comets finished the game off with a touchdown with 55 seconds, when Pfau connected with Darrel Wilson for a 37-yard touchdown, on a four play, 77-yard drive.
 
Pfau finished 24-of-47 passing, with 309 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also the leading rusher, with 15 rushes for 77 yards.
 
Wilson finished with eight receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown. Pitts was three yards short of a 100-yard receiving game, finishing with six rushes for 97 yards and one touchdown.
 
The Comets (1-5 NSAA, 2-7 overall) will travel to Dickinson State University for their final regular season game next Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
"We need to do a better job as coaches of getting our guys to play the game with more excitement and intensity," Larson said.