It took four overtimes for Hope to hand the Centre High School football team its first loss of the season, as the Cougars matched their visitors? score for score in a 30-24 test of wills Friday night.
Hope dominated the yardage totals, running for 140 yards on 51 carries, but Centre?s defense forced two turnovers and limited Hope to a single touchdown during regulation.
The Cougars knotted the score at 6-all 2:34 before halftime, with Rustyn Kerbs catching the game-tying pass from Tanner Brunner.
Neither team completed a 2-point conversion and neither tallied again until Brunner connected with Kerbs on a 4-yard throw in the first overtime.
Hope answered with a pass from Aaron Davis to T.J. Kickaefer, then pushed Centre to the brink by scoring on a 10-yard Davis run to start the second overtime.
Brunner hit Kerbs again to force a third overtime, then completed a 9-yard pass to Cole Svoboda starting the third overtime.
Davis-to-Kickaefer tied the game at 24-24, and Lucas Bird scored the winner on a 2-yard run.
The Cougars visit Wakefield this week.