BOOTHBAY HARBOR – They were so close, they could smell it.

Late in Friday night’s football game, amidst the November chill and the salty coastal air, the Jay football team was close enough to sniff the end zone and even get a tantalizing whiff of a potential appearance in the Western C championship next week.

The Tigers had the ball, momentum and opportunity, but Jay got just a brief scent of victory Friday. Boothbay held off the late Tigers’ charge and survived with a 14-12 win in its Western C semifinal.

Boothbay (9-1) advances to face top-ranked Winthrop next week.

“We were fortunate,” said Boothbay coach Tim Rice. “Our kids came up with a big play. We were lucky to win this game.”

Trailing by two with the clock winding down, Jay got a break when a fumbled punt return was recovered by Myles Hutchinson at the Boothbay 41. The Tigers had 6:24 left and great field position. Jay (6-4) moved the ball as close as the 9-yard line but a Nick Bourassa run was quickly pursued by the Seahawk defense on the left side. The Tigers’ top runner was taken down for an 8-yard loss.

“That was a big play in the game,” said Jay coach Mark Bonnevie. “Give them credit. They made the play and put us in a tough spot. It makes it second-and-17. That kind of tests the playbook a little bit.”

Facing second-and-long, the Tigers hopes were diminished. Quarterback Austin Clark tried for Matt Schmidt in the right corner of the end zone and missed. After a short 2-yard pass to Bourassa, Clark looked for Bourassa on fourth down in the left corner of the end zone but couldn’t connect.

Boothbay ran the clock out on its next possession.

“I thought we played a great game,” said Bonnevie. “We moved the ball. That turnover in the second half was big. We were moving the ball and eating the clock up. They had two big plays. That’s all.”

Boothbay’s two scores came off a broken play that turned into a 72-yard quarterback scamper by Sam Cook. The second score came off Cook scrambling and finding a wide open Tim Stover in the end zone for a 32-yard scoring strike. That proved to be the game-winner with 8:13 left in the third quarter.

“That was exciting,” said Cook. “We had momentum. We were talking about it on the field. We just weren’t going to lose.”

That Boothbay score came after Jay had opened the second half with a drive that was moving the ball, but a fumble gave the Seahawks the chance at midfield.

“We were fortunate,” said Rice. “Not only did it turn it around score-wise but also momentum-wise. They had control, and their line was blocking well.”

The Tigers had dominated Boothbay for much of the opening half. Jay outgained Boothbay 238-134 in total yards in the first half and 9-3 in first downs. In the second half, the Seahawks totaled 95 yards to Jay’s 90.

Bourassa led the Tigers’ charge with 131 yards and 32 carries while Clark threw for two touchdowns and 126 yards. He connected with Schmidt on a 22-yard pass play with 4:02 left in the opening quarter for a 6-0 lead. Boothbay answered when Cook turned a bobbled snap into his 72-yard run around an open left side.