Decades ago, a national TV network opened its weekly sports show with the phrase, “the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.”

It was perhaps the best ever description of the wonderful world of sports. 

That concept was on full display Friday night on the green grass of the Plains High football stadium. 

Two teams locked in epic sports battle before the game came down to a field goal attempt, which itself is a rarity in 8-player high school football in small-town America. 

In the end, blocking on the line and determination to break it was the deciding factor in the visiting Darby Tigers’ 36-34, last-second win over the home standing Horsemen of Plains. 

The revitalized Plains football program was taking on a team many feel will be in the thick of the Western conference race this year. Both entered the contest with opening season wins under their belts. 

And the Horsemen had kicked their way back into the conversation about teams in the mix.   

Darby got on the scoreboard first when they took the game's opening kickoff and marched downfield where they capped the drive with a 10-yard scoring pass by sophomore quarterback Jordan Browning to wide out McCoy Townsend. That combo connected again on the point after touchdown (PAT) play, putting the Tigers in front 8-0 with half of the first quarter in the books. 

On the drive following the kickoff for that score, Plains moved the ball to near midfield before the Horsemen’s outstanding senior quarterback Darren Standeford completed a 46-yard scoring strike, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 8-6.  The PAT try was no good. 

That score would stand for the rest of the first quarter, which ended with the Horsemen on the Darby five-yard line.  On the first play of the second quarter, Standeford rolled left on a TD that put Plains ahead, 12-6.  Standeford hit receiver Cody West with the PAT pass, boosting the lead to 14-6. 

A short time later, following a hail of yellow laundry over various personal fouls that pushed the Horsemen back to their own eight-yard line, Standeford hooked up with senior wide out Zayden Allen, who romped 74 yards for a touchdown that increased the home team’s lead to 20-8. 

After West helped halt a Darby drive with an interception, a long pass from Standeford to Wyatt Butcher began another Plains drive that ended with a three-yard bulldozing TD run by Caleb Lakko.  This time the PAT kick was good by Mexican exchange student Jamie Martinez, upping the Horsemen lead to 27-8 with six minutes remaining in the first half. 

Darby, bent but not broken, took the ensuing kickoff and with the aid of two facemask penalties on the Plains, drove to the Horsemen eight-yard line.  Browning scored on an eight-yard touchdown run shortly thereafter. 

With the score 27-14 and just 57 seconds left in the first half, Butcher returned the kickoff 34 yards to near midfield.  A 25-yard pass completion two plays later moved the ball to the Darby three-yard line where Standeford popped into the end zone, giving the Horsemen a 33-14 lead with 14 ticks remaining in the first half. 

Martinez kicked the extra point, and Plains entered the halftime break with a 34-14 advantage. 

That would be the final score for the Horsemen, who were plagued by penalties and the temporary loss of Standeford, who suffered a leg injury that sidelined him for a substantial part of the third quarter. 

Townsend helped the Tigers cut the lead to 34-22 when he scored on an 11-yard TD run with 2:53 left in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter Plains, behind the power running of Lakko, moved the ball to the Darby red zone before the drive stalled.  The Horsemen opted for a field goal attempt on fourth and goal, but the kick was blocked by the Tigers, who blew through the Plains front line. 

That blocked kick was an ominous sign of things to come. 

A pair of long runs were instrumental in Darby’s next drive, which ended with Townsend sprinting 15 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Tigers within four, 34-30. 

Darby held the Plains offense on the next drive, then moved to midfield, setting up a dramatic 40-yard scoring run by Townsend, putting Darby in the lead for the first time since the opening drive of the game, 36-34 with 3:30 left to play. 

Plains took the kickoff and drove steadily downfield.  Darby managed to halt the drive on the four-yard line where, on fourth and goal and 3.5 second remaining after the Horsemen hectically spike the ball to stop the clock, Plains elected to try another field goal. 

For the second time, the Tigers broke through the Plains front line and blocked the kick, leaving the Horsemen stunned as the clock ticked to zeros. 

It was the second win of the young season for the Tigers, while the Horsemen, who blew out Victor a week earlier, fell to 1-1 on the year. 

Plains has a bye this coming week before hosting Mission High, which bounced St. Regis in their season opener last week.  That game is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. in St. Ignatius. 

    Plains defenders converge on a Darby ball carrier during their game Friday night in Plains. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)