It took a full four quarters to determine the outcome of the Mission-Plains high school football game last Friday night in Plains.

The Bulldogs came back from a two-touchdown deficit, rallying for a 44-40 victory. Mission is still in the hunt for a playoff berth with a 4-2 Western Division mark, and hosts Lake County rival Arlee this Friday at 7 p.m. Plains plays at Victor at the same time Friday.

The Horsemen led the Bulldogs 26-18 at halftime and scored the first touchdown of the third quarter, but Mission racked up four fourth-period touchdowns — scoring to take the lead with just a minute remaining en route to a 44-40 victory.

PLAINS HAD a 40-38 lead and the football in the final minutes, but had to punt. A bad snap resulted in Mission getting the ball with two minutes to go. The Bulldogs scored on a pass from Isaac Dumontier to Wacey McClure to take a 44-40 lead with :57 remaining.

In the first quarter, Mission receiver Jedi Christy made a spectacular catch in the end zone on a pinpoint pass from Dumontier to complete a 20-yard scoring play.

The Horsemen responded, scoring on a 9-yard TD run by senior Malachi Paulsen and his two-point conversion run for an 8-6 Plains lead.

Mission reclaimed a 12-8 lead on a 25-yard scoring pass from Dumontier to McClure.

Plains junior quarterback Treydon Brouillette ran five yards for a touchdown and a 14-12 Horsemen lead. The margin grew to 20-12 on a 4-yard scoring pass from Brouillette to Matt McCracken.

THE BULLDOGS got within two points on a 20-yard TD pass from Dumontier to McClure with 3:30 remaining in the first half. However, Plains responded with a 20-yard TD run by Paulsen just two minutes later.

Plains took momentum into the locker room when the Horsemen defense held Mission inside the Plains 1-yard-line on the last play of the first half.

The Horsemen scored on a touchdown aerial from Brouillette to Orion Pry-Hyde and a Paulsen conversion run for a 34-18 lead — those the only points of the third quarter.

Dumontier passed to McClure for a Mission touchdown, and Plains responded with a Brouillette-to-McCracken TD pass — giving the Horsemen a 40-25 lead.

However, Mission was unstoppable the rest of the fourth quarter — scoring on a Dumontier run, and pair of TD passes from Dumontier to favorite target McClure.