Jah-esa Stokes went down in a heap after her second-half pass was intercepted by Warwick’s Brianna Brookins.

With just a minute left to go and the Pine Bush flag football team trailing by seven points, it meant both the game and season were over as the eighth-seeded Warwick Wildcats upset No. 2 Pine Bush, 27-20, on Wednesday in the first-ever Section 9 flag football championship game at Goshen High School.

“It’s a tough way to end the season” Pine Bush coach Kyle Schneider said. “I’m so proud of these girls. They played with confidence all season. We’re a young team – no seniors – but Warwick stuck to what they do, and they did it well.”

Warwick quarterback Alyssa Sarlo spread the wealth throwing four touchdown passes, two each to Brookins and Trinity Irizarry. The Wildcats stormed through the tournament, opening up with a win over ninth-seeded Rhinebeck. It was the only tournament game in which the Wildcats had the higher seed.

They went on the road to knock off top-seeded Minisink Valley, 21-14, before beating fourth-seeded Monroe-Woodbury, 19-0 in the semifinals, setting up the showdown with the Bushmen.

The two teams had previously met on April 15, a game the Bushmen won, 20-18 at home.

“I don’t think they’re a traditional eight seed,” Schneider said. “I think they have dual sport athletes, and they may not have had girls from different games. They knew once they got in the playoffs that it was ‘go-time.’

The Bushmen had an easier road through posting a 31-12 win over No. 10 Middletown and then beat No. 3 Saugerties, 53-20 on May 22 to clinch their berth in the title game.

They got off to a fast start, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions. After holding the Wildcats to an early three-and-out, Stokes got the Bushmen on the board with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ketura Rutty.

She doubled Pine Bush’s lead with 11:31 to go in the first half with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tia Fisher. Stokes was involved with all three of Pine Bush’s touchdowns, running a score into the end zone to give the Bushmen a 20-14 lead in the second half.

“She’s our rock star,” Schneider said. “She’s able to help with making plays back and forth.”

The Wildcats took away whatever early momentum the Bushmen’s two early scores generated as Sarlo’s touchdown passes to Irizarry and Brookins tied the game at 14 at the half.

“They started gaining momentum, and that shocked us a little bit with girls second-guessing themselves,” Schneider said. “But they made their plays when they needed to.”

Rutty made the play she needed to, stopping a Warwick drive with an interception in the end zone, leading to Stokes’ running touchdown. However, Pine Bush failed to convert the extra point and only took a 6-point lead.

Warwick immediately answered as Sarlo threw her second straight touchdown to Brookins to tie the game at 20-20. Then with about 8:49 to go in the game, she threw a touchdown pass to Irizarry from 37 yards out to give the Panthers a 27-20 lead.

The Bushmen also needed to find a way to come back without Rutty, who was injured trying to make a catch on third down with about 10 minutes to go in the game.

“It’s tough in the spot and then you lose a girl that’s one of your best players,” Schneider said. “I just hope she’s OK and that she’s doing well, but the next girl up has got to happen.”

Warwick will go on to play the Section 8 champion at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on June 10. The Bushmen completed their first season with a 10-2 record. Their 10 straight wins were bookended by the season-ending loss to the Wildcats and the season-opening loss to Minisink Valley.

“I told them to not forget this feeling,” Schneider said. “I played high school sports and lost in a state sectional final in New Jersey, and you never forget that feeling. So, the good thing is they have another shot at it.”