DURHAM – November came fast for the Bow football team this year.

In September, the Falcons didn’t know what their season would be like. They didn’t know if they’d earn a winning record or make the playoffs. They didn’t know if they could reach the title game and play at UNH.

All the Falcons knew was that they were in a new division with a new landscape. How well they stacked up against the rest of the division was anyone’s guess. Their goal was to make a statement in Division II and let everyone know they belonged.

Their message to the rest of the league was sealed and sent long before kickoff in the D-II title game Saturday. But the Falcons (9-3) didn’t get the ending they wanted, falling 27-24 to fourth-ranked Plymouth (10-2) at Wildcat Stadium in Durham.

“We’re here,” running back and linebacker Jack Corriveau said. “It doesn’t feel the best right now, but in the end you know it’s still a statement. We left it all out on the field I think.”

Back in the hands of Plymouth, the Bobcats drove 75 yards in 9 plays for a touchdown, while chewing 3:46 off the clock. A costly facemask penalty on Bow pushed Plymouth from the 30 to the 15 with a new set of downs. They stopped Plymouth running back Garrett Macomber at the line of scrimmage first, but Macomber reeled in a pass from quarterback Brandon Roy with plenty of space in the end zone on the next play to retake the lead and eventually the state title.Corriveau certainly did leave it on the field. The junior scored all three of Bow’s touchdowns – two on receptions from quarterback Matt Harkins (248 yards, two interceptions) and one earned on the ground. His rushing touchdown from the 3-yard line in the fourth quarter regained the lead for Bow, 24-20, with four minutes hanging on the clock.

Any team that faced Plymouth this season had Macomber circled on their scouting report. The junior running back matched Corriveau, banging in three touchdowns and gaining 193 all-purpose yards for the Bobcats, despite missing time on their opening drive with a hip injury. He still averaged nearly 6 yards per carry, so Plymouth Coach Chris Sanborn gave him the ball again and again.

Cohen hoped the Falcons defense could have kept Macomber under wraps a bit more.

“I thought (we defended against Macomber) better than certainly eight weeks ago, but not as much as what we needed,” Cohen said. “We had the right defenses called and we were there, but we missed some tackles, and against a big bruising back like that, you can’t miss tackles.”

The Falcons led for all but 10 minutes. An 11-point lead earned on the foot of Mac Kimball – with a 31-yard field goal to go ahead 17-6 in the second quarter – took a hard cut in the final minute of the half. On fourth and 1 with 60 seconds left in the first half, Plymouth’s Connor Magowan (99 yards, 12 carries) took off for a 56-yard touchdown run and ran it into the end zone for the two-point conversion. Suddenly, Bow’s double-digit lead had dwindled to 17-14 at the break.

Their lead was completely erased two minutes into the fourth quarter when Macomber punched in a score from 6 yards out to put the Bobcats up 20-17, but Daniel Carey’s extra point attempt missed and the Falcons stayed within three points. Bow got more than that on the next drive with Corriveau’s touchdown.

It was Bow’s only score of the second half. After finding the end zone twice and leading by three at halftime, Corriveau hoped Bow’s momentum – and his own – would spill over into the second half.

“We felt great, felt like we were in command, couldn’t let this second half go,” Corriveau said. “I was hoping to carry that over. I had a good first half but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates first of all, and I thought that we all had the same mind set so we’re just going to keep it going. (Plymouth) probably had a good talk at halftime too and they came out firing.”

Harkins tossed up a prayer on Bow’s final drive following Macomber’s touchdown but it was intercepted by a Plymouth defender about 20 yards short of the end zone as time expired and the celebration began for the Bobcats.

Corriveau has one more year, but this was the last for many of the guys he came up with through youth football, guys he shared many wins and losses with as well. He hopes to be back in Durham this time next year.

“Probably the best team I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “I’ve been playing with these seniors all my life. I love this team and I want to be over here one more time. This isn’t my last time on this field.”