GREAT FALLS — Kyle Samson, his voice scratchy and his mind spinning, didn’t make the drive back to Kalispell late Friday night.

It had been too long since his parents had seen their grandkids so he and his family stayed the night, enjoying a rare moment of togetherness for a football family in the midst of a grueling season.

But oh to be a fly on the wall at breakfast this morning.

Samson and his banged up Flathead Braves persevered through the longest Class AA game in Montana history, a 42-41 quadruple-overtime win at Memorial Stadium against Mark Samson, Kyle’s father, and the Great Falls Bison.

It was the first known game between a father and son coaching on opposite sidelines.

“I don’t really want to do it again,” the younger Samson said. “It was hard, so hard. What a heck of a first time we played against each other.”

Flathead (1-2) sent its coach home a winner in an impossibly wild way, a fitting ending for an unusual matchup played under the most unusual circumstances.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first three overtimes, and Great Falls (1-2) scored again on their first possession of the fourth overtime. The extra point, however, was missed and Flathead got the ball back on the 10-yard line — the starting spot for overtime possessions — with four chances to get in the end zone.

The Braves gained nine yards on first down, setting up a second and one, but the next two runs were stuffed at the goal line. Facing a make-or-break fourth down, Seth Adolph — who played running back, wide receiver, wildcat quarterback and every defensive snap — powered into the middle of the line. Rebuffed there by the Bison front, he somehow caught quarterback Bridger Johnson out of the corner of his eye, pitched the ball back to him and Johnson turned the corner and crossed the goal line.

The bit of improvisation tied the score and Cody Cusker put through the point after to give the Braves a heart-stopping win.

“I don’t even know if I watched it,” Samson said of the decisive play. “It was insane. What a head’s up play by those two. You see the two hands come up by the referee and both sidelines are cheering. It’s kind of crazy.”

Cusker made all four of his PATs in overtime, each one a pressure-packed kick, and all coming after he missed a field goal in regulation that could have been the difference.

“Dang proud of Cody Cusker,” Samson said. “It’s not an easy thing in a pressure situation. I’m dang proud of him.”

Flathead survived a rash of injuries in the last week and had nearly half of their lineup play both offense and defense. Samson estimated Adolph, Jacques Eve, Tanner Troutman, Jonathan Baker and Jonas Nyman all were on the field for more than 100 total plays.

The game was tied at 14 at the end of regulation after Bryce Vaughn scored with 1:20 remaining to pull the Bison even.

Sophomore running back Blake Counts scored once early in the fourth quarter and again in overtime. James Flannigan caught a pair of touchdown passes from Johnson, and Johnson added two rushing touchdowns of his own in overtime, including the winning score.

After the game, Samson reflected on both the win and the experience of coaching against his father, a man he played for in high school and college, and later coached with at Montana State-Northern.

“It was something that was tough and still is tough, especially the way you win a game like that,” he said. “You’re so proud of the game and your team but you’re thinking of your dad, too.

“I remember looking across the field during the National Anthem; a proud moment for me. I was honored to coach against him, he’s a legend in this state. I wouldn’t be coaching against him if it wasn’t for him and everything he taught me.”

The Braves are on the road again next week, visiting Missoula Big Sky at 7 p.m.

FLA 0 7 0 7 7 7 7 7 — 42

GFH 0 0 7 7 7 7 7 6 — 41

First quarter

No scoring.

Second quarter

FLA — James Flannigan 4 pass from Bridger Johnson (Cody Cusker kick), 0:23

Third quarter

GFH — Blake Thelen 25 pass from Kevin Boes (Logan Martin kick), 6:21

Fourth quarter

FLA — Blake Counts 4 rush (Cusker kick), 6:36

GFH — Bryce Vaughan 4 rush (Martin kick), 1:20

Overtime

FLA — Counts 10 rush (Cusker kick)

GFH — Boes 1 rush (Martin kick)

Second overtime

GFH — Banderob 10 pass from Boes (Martin kick)

FLA — Flannigan 2 pass from Johnson (Cusker kick)

Third overtime

FLA — Johnson 10 rush (Cusker kick)

GFH — Kyle Winkler 10 pass from Boes (Martin kick)

Fourth overtime

GFH — Boes 10 rush (Martin kick no good)

FLA — Johnson 1 run (Cusker kick)

No individual statistics available.