Benicia High’s football team nearly came back from a 28-point deficit but ultimately fell short and had its season ended after a 35-28 loss to the Burbank Titans in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs at Corbus Field on Thursday.

The No. 6 seeded Panthers (6-5) scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull within seven but failed to score on three possessions in the fourth quarter, including a drive that ended at Burbank’s 30-yard line with 12.1 seconds remaining.

“It was exciting to the end and unfortunately we couldn’t get it in the end zone,” said Benicia head coach Craig Holden. “Give our kids credit. They fought back and made a game of it.”

The Panthers faced a fourth-and-10 at Burbank’s 30 trailing by a touchdown and seemed to pull off a miracle when senior receiver Mario Ferreira made an over-the-shoulder catch on the sideline at the Burbank 4-yard line. But the nearest referee said Ferreira didn’t get a foot in bounds, and the turnover on downs sealed the victory for No. 11 seeded Burbank (7-4).

“It was do or die,” Ferreira said of the game-deciding catch that wasn’t. “I thought I had one foot in. Maybe they thought I was bobbling it as I was going out. You always want the call to go your way.”

The Panthers appeared to catch a break when Titans quarterback Levelle Bailey fumbled the snap at the Titans 44-yard line with under three minutes remaining. Benicia’s B.J. Washington and Justin Williams pounced on the loose ball, but when the refs pulled away the pile of players fighting for possession, Burbank somehow recovered.

“We had it for sure,” Williams said. “Me and Barry fell on it and somehow they snatched it at the end.”

It was that kind of night for the Panthers, who couldn’t catch a break while having several big plays go Burbank’s way. The Titans fumbled four times but managed to recover each time. The Titans also scored touchdowns on a 90-yard kickoff return and a blocked punt – the first time all year Benicia had a punt blocked.

“The two special teams touchdowns hurt us,” Holden said. “You can count on one hand the breakdowns that cost us the game.”

Benicia had a miserable first half and was overpowered by Burbank’s offensive and defensive lines. Taniela Fisilau scored from seven yards out on Burbank’s first possession, and Tava Finau blocked a punt that teammate Devonte Colbert recovered for a touchdown. When Fisialu ran for another touchdown on Burbank’s first possession of the second quarter, the Panthers found themselves in a 21-0 hole.

A pair of long passes to Ferreria set up Cavon Etter for a 5-yard TD run that made it 21-7, but Burbank’s Kevin Decker returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Decker later added a 71-yard touchdown reception that put Burbank up 35-7.

Meanwhile, Benicia’s offense had trouble slowing down a Burbank defensive front that included University of Miami recruit D.J. Johnson and mammoth twin defensive tackles Feki Finau (6-3, 400) and Viliami Finau (6-1, 360). The Panthers managed only 11 yards rushing in the first half and quarterback Devin Holden spent a lot of time scrambling for his life.

“They were big and physical and we had to wait for them to get tired out before we could do anything,” coach Holden said.

The Panthers finally turned things around late in the first half when Ferreira hauled in a 30-yard TD pass with 43.7 seconds remaining. When Benicia opened the second half with an eight-play, 69-yard drive ending in a short Shevvy Franklin touchdown run, the Panthers were right back in it down 35-21.

“We got angry,” coach Holden said. “We decided to play football and played like we played the last four games of the regular season.”

“We never gave up,” Ferreira said. “We’re an emotional team that comes back from low spots. This team has a lot of love for each other.”

Benicia’s defense forced Burbank to go three-and-out on its first three possessions of the second half and allowed only one first down after halftime. That gave Benicia’s offense a chance to gain momentum, and when Devin Holden ran for a 4-yard touchdown with 45 seconds left in the third quarter, the Panthers smelled blood down by only seven.

But the Panthers couldn’t complete the comeback. Burbank cornerback Stephen Sosa intercepted a pass to end one Benicia drive with 2:51 remaining, and a sack by Tava Finau forced the fourth-and-10 with under 20 seconds left.

It was Benicia’s first opening-round playoff loss since 2013 and a disappointing finish to a season that saw the Panthers win their third straight league championship for the first time since 1948-50.

“It hurts a lot,” Ferreria said afterward. “Just knowing this was our last game playing football – it really hurts.”

Burbank advanced to a quarterfinal game at No. 3 Christian Brothers this Friday.

In first-round playoff games involving other Solano County Athletic Conference teams, American Canyon beat El Camino, 64-42, and Vanden lost to Vista del Lago, 49-46.