The Bow High School football team has given faithful hearts weekly workouts in 2009. The most recent example was a 17-14 win at two-time defending state champion Pelham on Friday, Sept. 25.

The Falcons scored the game-winning touchdown with just 30 seconds remaining. So far, Bow’s four victories have come by a combined 14 points, none more than six points.

“Every game has been a cardiac finish for us,” said Bow’s head coach, Paul Cohen. “We may be down in a game, but we are never out of it.”

Tom Poitras contributed in nearly every facet – kicking a 25-yard field goal, grabbing an interception and tallying a sack as time expired, and this came after he gave the Falcons the lead 30 seconds earlier.

Bow dominated time of possession in the second half, running its offense for 19 of a possible 24 minutes, culminating in its final drive that began with 6:26 remaining and the Falcons trailing, 14-10.

On 2nd and goal from the Pelham 10-yard line, Austin Hill dropped back to pass and threw a fade to the corner of the end zone, where Poitras was waiting with a well-positioned defender in front of him.

But the 6-foot-6 senior jumped into the air, reached over the defender’s helmet, secured the ball with two hands and gave his team a three-point lead after kicking the extra point.

Bow fans were still uneasy after the Pythons returned the ensuing kickoff to the Bow 43- yard line, then nearly came away with the win.

With three seconds left, Pelham quarterback Joseph DeAngelo threw a perfect spiral to an open receiver in the end zone, but the ball went right through his hands and incomplete. A play later, Poitras sacked the scrambling DeAngelo to seal the win.

“We know every year about him. We’re scared to death of that kid,” said Pelham’s head coach, Tom Babaian, of Poitras. “We had it covered perfectly. What else are you supposed to do?”

With the win, Bow is now tied with Trinity atop the Division V standings. Cohen said he hopes this win opens people’s eyes.

“We knocked off Kearsarge, and it was a fluke. We beat Stevens, and it was ‘So what?’ Now people are starting to wake up to the reality that we are for real,” said Cohen. “We’re sitting high and pretty right now, but we know we need to keep our egos in check because things can change on a dime.”