POLAND — Brandon Stearns figured he was the rightful owner of tipped pass that was floating in the end zone. Stearns reached up and snatched the ball in a sea of defenders.

The Spruce Mountain tight end brought the ball into his arms, and with it, the winning touchdown with 1:22 left in the football game, giving an exasperated Phoenix a narrow 26-23 victory Friday night.

“I new there was a lot of tight coverage of our No. 1 receiver,” Stearns said. “I knew that someone had to make a play down there to the end of the game, and when he tipped it up, I was just lucky enough to be standing there. I just saw when it was tipped.”

But luck had nothing to do it when Stearns scooped up the ball. Spruce Mountain quarterback Peter Theriault was facing pressure when threw what seemed like a desperation pass into the end zone from the 10-yard line.

“We tipped it rather than ripping it down,” Poland coach Ted Tibbetts. “We need to make a better play on that ball. We were there.”

The Poland Knights were trying to hold onto a 23-20 lead after Adam Mocciola scored on a 10-yard run with 3:10 left in the game. Corey Cunliffe split the uprights, but the Knights knew the Phoenix still had plenty of time to score — and they did.

Spruce Mountain began its drive from the 30-yard line. That’s when Theriault began finding open receivers.

He connected on three passes for a total of 35 yards before the Phoenix found themselves on the 12. That’s where Theriault reeled off his game-winning pass that hung in the air for a moment in the end zone before Stearns claimed the ball.

“The one thing about that team is they have pride,” Spruce Mountain coach Walter Polky said. “These guys are very tough in the middle. That coach over there does a great job. This team here has gone through the gauntlet. We came back in the fourth … we have done it a lot of different ways.

“We preach team work, staying together,” Polky added. “We could have folded at the end. Poland is a very good team. They play hard; they play it the right way. (Mocciola), he ran the option perfect tonight. That’s the beauty about option, you are always in it.”

In the second half, both teams made adjustments and it became anyone’s guess which team would come out on top in this hard-fought campaign.

The Phoenix didn’t waste a moment in the third quarter. Theriault found an open Matt Vigue for a 37-yard, eye-opening touchdown pass 10:38 into the third stanza. The conversion failed, but Spruce Mountain was on top for the moment.

On the next set of downs, the Knights began at the 38, with Robbie Porter doing most of the heavy work until Poland got to the 5-yard line. Porter carried the ball eight times during Poland’s march toward the end zone for 44 yards. Mocciola took it from there and scored. The conversion failed, but the Knights were in striking distance.

The Knights pulled a fast one when they faked a punt and Mocciola carried the ball from the 38 to Spruce Mountain’s 45-yard line for the first down. A couple of fumbles almost derailed Poland, but the Knights actually picked up 14 yards after recovering the ball. The Knights got the ball and Mocciola ran the option and scored, giving the Knights a 23-20 lead with 3:10 left in the game.

“We played a really great game. Tonight was working,” Tibbetts said. “The kids were fantastic. They played their hearts out.”