Second- and third-graders from St. Mary's await their turn to perform during the school's Homecoming game. Dozens of elementary students participated in the after-school cheer camp, like their peers at Sleepy Eye Public did the week before for that school's Homecoming game.

The Sleepy Eye United Cheer team lines up for the national anthem.

Cheerleaders (clockwise from top left) Jace Schauman, Taylor Mathiowetz, Taylor Berkner and Jaelynn Schauman await the Sleepy Eye United pregame introductions.

Keeyan Netzke looks for room after taking a handoff in the first quarter behind his blockers. Sleepy Eye's offensive line helped set the tone in the game, often getting the better of the Tigers up front.

With the ball on the Tigers' 4 yard-line, Jacob Fulmer appeared to be stuffed on a run until he received a boost from teammate and senior lineman Emerson Johnson, who helped push the pile -- and Fulmer -- into the end zone for a touchdown. The score pulled United to within a point and made the score 6-7 in favor of Springfield with 9:34 to play after a missed point-after kick.  

Springfield quarterback Parker Kuehn avoids a tackle by Sleepy Eye's Hayden Zeig during a scramble from the pocket in the second quarter.

Keeyan Netzke grinds out yardage for a first down against several Springfield tacklers to the Tigers' 24-yard-line. The United drive would end late in the second quarter with a turnover on downs after a Springfield defender knocked away a pass to the end zone for Carson Uecker.

Nick Tauer makes a big play near the end of the second quarter with a tackle near midfield to stop Springfield's Adiel Trevino after a screen pass on 4th-and-one. The game went into halftime with Sleepy Eye up 8-7. United took the lead in the second quarter on a safety when Springfield hiked the ball on a punt through its own end zone.

A huge home crowd -- and a sizable visitors' following from nearby Springfield -- packed the stands and sidelines at the game. Here students from the home team look for candy from St. Mary's Homecoming Court during a halftime procession.

Sleepy Eye's offensive line at work in the second half. By this point in the third quarter, Sleepy Eye had momentarily lost the lead by giving up its own safety when it snapped the ball on a punt through its own end zone, as the Tigers did earlier in the game.

Carson Uecker reacts after a Sleepy Eye first down by Keeyan Netzke in the third.

On the same drive, with Sleepy Eye near midfield, Brayden Heiderscheidt airs out a pass to the right sideline that found Uecker, who raced the rest of the way for a touchdown, making the score 14-9 United.

Davin Suess sacks the Springfield quarterback in the third.

Suess looks to the sideline after the play.

Nick Tauer celebrates another sack on the next play.

Netzke churns for nine yards at mid-field to give Sleepy Eye a third-and-five possession late in the third quarter.

Lineman Ethan Schwartz signals a first down toward the Sleepy Eye sideline after Brayden Heiderscheidt converted on a quarterback keeper to keep United's drive going at the end of the third quarter.

With Sleepy Eye facing a fourth-and-one at the Springfield 12-yard-line, Brayden Heiderscheidt runs in a keeper for a touchdown to extend United's lead to 20-9 with just under eight minutes to play.

Heiderscheidt is joined by Gavin Fischer in the end zone after catching a pass from Carson Uecker to complete the two-point conversion, giving Sleepy Eye a 22-9 lead.

Springfield responded quickly, advancing down the field on its next possession and scoring a touchdown with less than six minutes to play. The point-after was good, despite Uecker's attempt to block the kick, above, making it 22-16 Sleepy Eye.

United punted on its next possession, leading to another drive by Springfield as the game clock ticked away. On fourth-and-three at the Sleepy Eye 16, Springfield gave the ball to its 6-3, 255-pound tight end, Aiden Moriarty, who took it to the house for a touchdown, tying the game at 22-22 with just over a minute to play.

Sleepy Eye's Hayden Zeig meets Adiel Trevino in the backfield during the Tigers' two-point conversion attempt. Trevino would evade the tackle and fight his way to the goal line but was called down before crossing.

The Tigers make their case that Trevino scored, but the call stood and the score remained tied at 22-22, leading to overtime.

Sleepy Eye's offense had the ball first in overtime, starting at the Tigers' 10-yard-line. United was stopped on four downs without scoring, giving Springfield the chance to win if it could score on its ensuing possession.

The Tigers celebrate after scoring on a pass to Isaac Fredin in the end zone, ending the thriller.