Things looked bleak for Martha's Vineyard when Aaron Fox's one-yard touchdown plunge spotted Nantucket a 12-0 lead with 4:46 left. The Whalers had controlled the game from the opening drive, pounding the Vineyard with a balanced running and passing attack. Once again Nantucket attempted a two-point conversion; they were foiled by Mike Dowd's crunching hit on the goal line. The Whalers' inability to score extra points left a window for the Comeback, albeit a very small one.

The Vineyard wasted no time. On his first play from scrimmage, Jason Dyer launched a 44-yard pass to Jason O'Donnell. A roughing-the-player call put the ball on the Nantucket 11, and two plays later, the Vineyard finally found the end zone. Dyer lofted a timing pass to Albie Robinson, whose diving catch in the corner gave the Vineyarders six points. Mike Dowd's extra point made the score 12-7 with 4:14 remaining.

Upon receiving the ball, Nantucket did its best to drain the clock. Coach Vito Capizzo chose to run conservatively, using his backs Chris Maury and Fox for simple running plays. With less than two minutes remaining, the Whalers punted. Dyer returned the punt to his 49 yard line, giving the Vineyarders 1:51 to win the game.

Perhaps the Vineyard scored too quickly for comfort. On first down, Dyer fired a seven-yard pass to Keith Devine, who shook off Nantucket cornerback Dennis Caron. Devine turned the corner and sprinted downfield to the end zone. Dowd's extra point was good. With 1:44 remaining, the Vineyard had its first lead, 14-12.

Nantucket and Coach Capizzo had plenty of time to retake the lead. Nantucket began to drive from their own 38. A lateral pass from Caron was batted down by the Vineyard's Rusty Ventura on the Whaler 35. Ventura and the other Vineyarders began to celebrate, but the football was not dead. Nantucket's Fox alertly scooped up the ball and ran to the Vineyard 18 before being run out of bounds by Dan Borer and Aaron Belanger. With 1:34 remaining, Nantucket was knocking on the end zone and the Super Bowl.

It was as close as the Whalers would come. On this series the Vineyard displayed its finest defensive intensity of the day. Fox, who had run successfully all day, was stopped short on two carries. On fourth and long, Capizzo elected not to kick a field goal, and Caron's goal-line pass was knocked away by Albie Robinson.

The Vineyard tried to run out the time, but was forced to punt with :13 remaining. Jason Tillman, in a clutch performance, punted a long drive from his own goal line. Nantucket had one last try from its own 35, but Caron's Hail Mary pass was picked off by Dyer at the Vineyards 5 as the game ended.