CHRISTA CONFAIR/Special to the Sun-Gazette Hughesville’s Conor Knight runs past Warrior Run’s Sam Hall during Friday’s game. The Spartans won a double overtime thriller.

On Friday night at Spartan Stadium, Hughesville (4-4) played host to Warrior Run (5-3), with both teams looking to shake off demoralizing losses to get back on track. The result was an all-time thriller, as neither team pulled its punches through regulation and beyond.

Despite end-of-regulation heroics from James Kiefer and the Warrior Run offense, which saw the Defenders drive 62 yards before scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion with 33 seconds to go, Hughesville’s defense redeemed itself when it mattered most.

After Hughesville’s Keagan Smith converted on a 21-yard field goal to kick off the second overtime period, Warrior Run got to the goal line to set up fourth and goal from the 1. With a chance to win it, it took a chance and went for it.

But as he had been against Montgomery a few weeks back, Hughesville middle linebacker Brenden Fisher was there for his team with the game on the line, stuffing Eli Butler a yard from paydirt, granting the Spartans a momentous, 32-29, victory over Warrior Run.

“Warrior Run’s a great team and I knew we needed a big play there at the end. It comes down to something like that. I got flashbacks to Montgomery; I did the same thing against Montgomery,” said Fisher on the play. “All night, the defense was great.”

“This is everything for us. We had a rough couple of weeks,” he added on the confidence boost this win brought the team.

Although it surrendered a late touchdown to allow overtime, the Spartan defense stepped up time and time again throughout the night. Through Warrior Run’s first five drives, the Spartans had a pick six and forced three three-and-outs and one four-and-out.

There was success at all facets.

Linebackers Brenden Fisher and Jeb Abernatha were all over the field against the run, logging numerous tackle-for-losses and keeping Warrior Run’s prosperous rushing attack at bay. And the line made things difficult for Kiefer, logging three sacks and constantly forcing him out the pocket with pressure from all signs.

Whenever that pressure led to mistakes, Hughesville was able to capitalize.

With a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter, defensive back Conor Knight jumped an inerrant pass for an interception before bursting down the sideline and slipping a tackler on the way to a 40-yard score.

“On film, we watched them do a lot of short routes and a lot of sixes to the sideline, and I was ready for it,” said Knight on the play. “I saw the QB loft it up and I was there. It was great; it felt amazing to turn around and see all (my teammates) there and to make it 14-0.”

Warrior Run worked its way back. Sam Hall (3 receptions, 84 yards) caught two critical long bombs, a 42-yarder that set up Colby LeBarron for a goal line score and a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game.

But after Fisher and Jerry Barton sacked Kiefer to stall a drive late in the third, with the Defenders trailing 17-14, Warrior Run’s ensuing long snap went over punter Stone Allison’s head, which ended in a safety.

“Our defense is known for being good,” said Fisher. “We’ve proved it tonight.”

“In the past, we haven’t believed in the guy next to us, or the guy behind us. This time, we believed in each other and did our job,” said Hughesville football head coach Howard Rainey when discussing their success on defense. “We’ve been telling them all year that they can compete with every team. Tonight, the guys focused up, they believed it.”

Warrior Run had success stopping the pass, holding quarterback Blake Davis to nine passing yards and Conor Knight to 2 receptions for 11 yards. But Davis (9 rushes, 63 yards) did what he could to impact the game on the ground and Knight found a different way to be impactful through the air.

With the score still deadlocked at 0-0 and each offense stalling early, Hughesville was expected to punt after its third failed drive. But instead, Knight got the direct snap on a fake and delivered a well-placed ball to Chase Shrawder (4 touches, 49 yards), who used his speed to get Hughesville in the redzone. Two plays later, Stutzman punched it in to get the Spartans on the board.

“I was so nervous to get that play call,” said Knight, whose latest experience playing quarterback came in junior high. “I was scrambling and thought I was gonna get sacked, but then I saw a little pocket and Chase was open downfield.”

“We practice that every single week,” said Rainey. “We hadn’t ever used it yet, so we thought, ‘Well, we’re on our side of the field. We’ll try it and maybe give ourselves some momentum.'”

After running back Luke Stutzman (12 rushes, 43 yards, TD) got stuffed on their first offensive play of overtime, with the Defenders up 29-22, Davis found an opening towards Warrior Run’s left pylon and got there for a 15-yard score. Stutzman and Jeb Abernatha (16 rushes, 58 yards) each contributed heavily as well, bursting off 39 and 15-yard runs respectively to help set up Keagan Smith (3-of-3) for field goals.

“I think a lot of teams don’t think we can run, but if we have to, we can. We knew we weren’t going to be able to pass a lot against these guys because they were going to double team our receivers and cover them well, so we thought, ‘Well, we’re going to us Luke Stutzman and Jeb Abernatha and just run as hard as we could,” said Rainey on the rushing attack. “I think every game, (Jeb) has gotten better.”

For Warrior Run, Kiefer (12-of-18 132 yards) stepped up with the game on the line, going 5-of-7 for 36 yards before finding Eli Butler on a quick out to the Defenders within two. Though Cohen Zechman fell during his route on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, he got back up just in time to make the game-tying catch to extend the game.

Though it proved to be in vain, it’s hard to say the Defenders weren’t ready for the moment. It battled its way back from deficits of 14-0 and 22-14, fight which could end up being critical in the team trying to make a deep playoff run.

With the loss, Warrior Run falls to 5-3 on the season and will look to bounce back against Central Columbia next Friday. For Hughesville, it gets back to .500 after suffering back-to-back losses and will look to keep building up momentum next Friday at Wyalusing.

“We got the win that we needed. We won against a great team,” said Rainey. “So, I think these guys will start believing. Hopefully, these next two games are going to show them what we can really do.”