In the end, it all came down to an extra point.

Both the Wareham Tigers Junior Midget “B-squad” and the Taunton Tigers team scored three touchdowns apiece Sunday afternoon in the Hockomock League Super Bowl, but the Taunton team converted on one of its three extra point attempts and stopped Wareham on all three tries.

Taunton won the game 19-18.

“It was a hard-fought game—it was up and down,” said Head Coach Chris Perry, who led the Wareham team to its second straight bowl appearance. “We just couldn’t make any extra points.”

In Pop Warner football, what is traditionally known as an extra point counts for two points (since it’s more difficult for younger players), and teams more often attempt what is known as a two point conversion in more advanced leagues, though those conversions only count for one point because they’re thought to be easier to convert.

After falling behind 7-0, Wareham scored on a long pass from quarterback Justin Lopes to wide receiver Syler King.

Following a failed conversion, Wareham trailed 7-6.

After some back and forth between the two teams, Lopes, playing linebacker, recovered a Taunton fumble late in the second quarter and returned it 50-plus yards for a touchdown, making the score 12-7 Wareham going into halftime.

In its first drive after halftime, the Taunton team quickly drove down the field and scored, making the score 13-12.

Taunton then stopped Wareham on its next drive, and then scored again making it 19-12.

Starting on their own 48, the Tigers drove down the field and got a rushing touchdown from Jackson Cote, making the score 19-18 with 8:08 left in the fourth quarter. They were unable to tie the game after another failed conversion.

After stopping Taunton on its next drive, Wareham got another chance to take the lead, but Taunton’s defense sacked Lopes for a nine-yard loss on second down. After an incomplete pass on third down, Lopes completed a deep pass to running back/wide receiver Eric Zine, who came up just short of the first down marker.

From there, Taunton was able to kill the clock, running their way to the Super Bowl title.