LOYSBURG — Northern Bedford has come so close to pulling out a win the last couple of weeks only to shoot itself in the foot late in the game.

On Friday night at Panther Community Stadium, the NBC offense put up all its points in the opening half and led by two scores at the break before going cold after halftime — punting on three possessions, and then turning the ball over on an interception and on downs.

Fortunately, while North Star came back to tie the contest to send the game into overtime, the offense got the plays and score it needed in the extra session, while the special teams delivered with a key Cougar blocked conversion attempt before the Panthers got a Weston Hart extra point to steal victory with a 27-26 walk off win to snap a seven-game losing streak.

“Nothing, in more ways than football, has gone our way for about six weeks. We really needed this tonight,” Northern Bedford coach Garry Black said. “This is part of the healing process that the community needs. I can’t thank our guys enough for putting the effort into it like they did.”

Hart, whose primary Fall sport is soccer, wasn’t even the starting kicker until a few weeks ago.

“He (Hart) asked if he could join (at the beginning of the season) and he was terrible. He came up, he tried and he was terrible,” Black said. “… Adam Berry was our kicker until he lacerated his liver against Berlin (Sept. 19), and he’s out for the season. Weston Hart has to step into this role and be the guy to make that kick and he delivered. That’s the definition of nothing easy.”

Overtime sequence, North Star possession: The Cougars, who got most of its offense from quarterback Kasey Yoder in the second half, stayed with the hot hand as the junior ran for 2 yards on first down, seven on second and then crossed the goal line up the middle from 1 yard out to put his team up 26-20. On the PAT attempt, the snap was and before the NS holder Bryson Durst had a chance to set it, the kicker, Sean Hemminger bailed on the attempt causing Durst to have to stand up and run. Fortunately for Northern, Nolan Snider stopped him in his tracks as the senior came up with the tackle on the two-point conversion run.

Snider: “It’s something our team always strives to do (because) we may have been 0-7, but you’ve just got to bring it every single play. When you’ve got heart and you bring it, good things will happen.”

Overtime sequence, Northern Bedford possession: After the offense struggled mightily in the second half to move the ball (33 total yards gained), the first down play didn’t start off on a good note as QB Trace Baker was hit for a 5-yard loss. However, on second down from the 15, Baker rolled out right and fired to Connor Donaldson who was moving from left-to-right. Donaldson caught the ball in stride and beat the North Star defender to the corner of the end zone to tie the contest at 26-26. Hart came on for the all-important extra point. The snap from Zach Bowers was handled easily by Ben Cottle who placed it and allowed Hart to deliver the game-winner.

Hart: “It feels really good. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without my line — they blocked really well. Most of the time I just try to stay calm and keep my breathing down to keep myself from getting nervous.”

Player of the game: Baker, who finished with 88 rushing yards and 60 passing, played a part in three of the four TDs for Northern Bedford as he tossed a 24-yard pass to Bowers, who made an acrobatic catch between two defenders at 10:19 of the second quarter. The sophomore then called his own number and shook off an ankle tackle before moving along the right sideline en route to an 81-yard score to put the Panthers up 20-6 with 3:34 remaining in the opening half.

North Star coach Bob Landis: “I’m proud of the effort — our guys didn’t lay down at halftime. We came out and fought in the second half. Close games like that, you’re going to second-guess a lot of things. But we’ll watch the film and make the adjustments. But, the bottom line is our guys played four quarters tonight, and a little bit more.”

Unsung hero: North Star’s Kasey Yoder threw for 206 yards and rushed for 122 on the ground. He made the score 7-6 with a 3-yard run at 5:47 of the first stanza, then reached paydirt on an 11-yard run in the third before finding John Michael Steltzer on a 15-yard passing touchdown with 38.7 second left in regulation while his two-point conversion run on the ensuing attempt knotted the contest at 20-20.

Black: “We had the lead, we were up two scores, but there is going to be nothing easy this season. Kudos to our guys for continuing to fight because the way that went, it could have been very difficult to get yourself back up (after being held scoreless in the second half and letting North Star tie the game late).”

Most vital statistic: Carter Love returned the opening kickoff 79 yards to put Northern Bedford up 7-0 right out of the gate.

Records: North Star (3-5); Northern Bedford (1-7).

Snider: “It (winning tonight after losing the lead late the last two weeks) is something you can’t describe. It’s a joy I personally have never felt before. It just means more with all the things that are happening around this community.”

Next week: North Star hosts Berlin Brothersvalley next Friday; Northern Bedford travels to Windber the same night.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

North Star 6 0 6 8 6 — 26

Northern Bedford 7 13 0 0 7 — 27

First Quarter

NB — Love 79 kickoff return (Hart kick), 11:45.

NS — K, Yoder 3 run (kick blocked), 5:47.

Second Quarter

NB — Bowers 24 pass from Baker (kick blocked), 10:19.

NB — Baker 81 run (Hart kick), 3:34.

Third Quarter

NS — K. Yoder 11 run (pass failed), 7:51.

Fourth Quarter

NS — Steltzer 15 pass from K. Yoder (K. Yoder run), 38.7

First overtime

NS — K. Yoder 1 run (run failed), 0.0

NB — Donaldson 15 pass from Baker (Hart kick), 0.0

TEAM STATISTICS NS NB

First downs 17 8

Total yards 365 262

Rushes-yards 41-159 28-165

Yards passing 206 60

Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 10-20-1 5-12-2

Punts-avg, 4-33.8 4-35.0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 4-30 6-38

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — North Star, K. Yoder 25-122, Eshleman 8-27, Scott 1-4, Lasky 5-11, Durst 1-(-4), TEAM 1-(-1). Northern Bedford, Clark 15-46, Baker 7-88, Bowers 2-13, Donaldson 1-9, Swanseen 3-9.

PASSING — North Star, K. Yoder 10-20-1-206. Northern Bedford, Baker 5-12-2-60.

RECEIVING — North Star, Hawkins 3-124, Lasky 1-17, Durst 1-13, Steltzer 3-36, Scott 2-16. Northern Bedford, Clark 2-19, Br. Cottle 1-2, Bowers 1-24, Donaldson 1-15.