The Bulldogs dropped a 30-29 decision after trailing 30-13 in the third quarter.
Gardner -- Thank Baldwin High's football team for a new definition of heartbreak.
One week after dropping its season opener in the final two minutes, Baldwin floundered in another tight game Friday night as Gardner-Edgerton held off a late Bulldog rally to win, 30-29, at Trailblazer Stadium.
"We just can't seem to put a whole game together," said Baldwin head coach Mike Berg, whose team now stands at 0-2 on the season. "We just got off to a really slow start tonight. I felt like we didn't execute up to the level I expected all night long."
Baldwin didn't go out without a bang, though. Down 30-13 with 5:54 left in the third quarter, Baldwin climbed back after a wild last quarter-and-a-half.
After scoring on a 38-yard touchdown strike from Heath Knight to wide receiver Ben Cosman late in the third quarter, Baldwin moved in to close the gap again with just over five minutes left in the fourth.
After recovering a G-E fumble at the Gardner 41 yard line, Baldwin moved to the Trailblazer 26 with the help of a defensive pass interference penalty.
Following an incompletion and a sack, Baldwin faced a third-and-17 from the 33. On the next play, Knight found running back Nathan Floersch for a 27-yard gain. Floersch then barreled into the end zone from six yards out. Floersch then ran the ball in for the two-point conversion to make the score 30-29.
Gardner-Edgerton's Jeff Strack returned the Baldwin kickoff 49 yards to the Baldwin 38.
Three plays later, however, a fumble returned possession to the Bulldogs with just over three minutes left.
Following three consecutive incompletions by Knight, Baldwin faced a fourth-and-10 from the Baldwin 35. Nearly making the Trailblazers pay for declining a third-down holding penalty, Knight scrambled to reach the first down marker before losing the ball.
The Trailblazers ran the majority of the final two-and-a-half minutes off the clock before turning the ball over on downs at the Baldwin 23 with 14 seconds left. The Bulldogs had one last play left to steal the victory, but Knight stepped over the line of scrimmage as he threw the final pass, which landed as an incompletion.
It was a rough night for Baldwin in the turnover department with Knight throwing five interceptions on the evening. Gardner-Edgerton fumbled the ball away three times.
Next week, Baldwin will host rival Wellsville at Liston Stadium. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
"I still feel like we have a chance to be a very good team," Berg said despite his team's record. "It's just a matter of making everything come together."
Gardner-Edgerton 30, Baldwin 29
Baldwin 7 6 8 8 -- 29
Gardner 6 14 10 0 -- 30
GE -- Brian Rall 3 run (conversion failed).
B -- Taylor Reed 71 run (Chappelle kick).
B -- Tyler Craig 6 run (kick blocked).
GE -- Jeff Strack 5 run (Freund kick).
GE -- Derek Stegman 23 pass from Rall (Freund kick).
GE -- Blankenship 55 pass from Rall (Freund kick).
GE -- Freund 28 field goal.
B -- Ben Cosman 38 pass from Heath Knight (Taylor Reed run).
B -- Nathan Floersch 6 run (Floersch run).
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