(Theresa Proudfit photo) Norway senior running back Gabe Hautamaki (20) drags Stephenson’s Niko Gibellina (22) downfield in Thursday night’s Great Lakes 8 Conference West Division game at Ronberg Field in Norway. Stephenson defeated the Knights, 36-28 in overtime.

NORWAY — In a game decided by the last play of overtime, Stephenson slipped past host Norway 36-28 in a Great Lakes 8 Conference West Division game at Ronberg Field on Thursday night.

The visiting Eagles won the coin flip prior to the overtime and elected to go on offense first. Stephenson scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass and added a successful 2-point conversion to take a 34-28 lead.

On their first play from scrimmage from the 10, the snap went over the head of sophomore Wyatt Spade of the Knights and Stephenson recovered to end the game.

Spade caught the game-tying 27-yard touchdown pass from Norway quarterback Michael Peterson with 35 seconds remaining in regulation. A conversion would have given the Knights a two-point lead, but it was unsuccessful, which sent the game to overtime.

Norway got on the scoreboard in the first quarter, with running back Gabe Hautamaki crossing the goal line after a 65-yard run. The senior, who rushed for 91 yards on 11 carries, added a 1-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, set up by a Chase Carlson interception.

Trailing 14-0, Stephenson quarterback Spencer Coldren fielded the ensuing kickoff and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown.

A 14-14 tie at the intermission was broken at approximately the 6:00 mark of the third stanza, as Peterson found Austyn Dwight for a 45-yard touchdown, the only score of the quarter for either team.

The Eagles scored twice in a span of 1:56 late in the final quarter of regulation to take a 28-22 lead.

Norway, who recorded 12 first downs, finished the game with 278 total yards to the Eagles’ 329, with 266 coming on the ground for Stephenson. The Eagles had 16 first downs.

Both teams, who are in Division 1 of 8-player competition, have records of 3-4. The Knights will travel to Rapid River on Thursday night, before hosting North Dickinson on Oct. 22 to end the regular season.

Stephenson 0 14 0 14 8 — 36

Norway 8 6 8 6 0 — 28

1st Quarter

N – Gabe Hautamaki 65-yard run, (conversion good)

2nd Quarter

N – Hautamaki 1-yard run (pass failed), 11:55

S – Spencer Coldren 80-Yard kickoff return, (pass failed), 11:39

S – Canaan Elson 16 yard pass to Tristan Kacynski (Elson run), 5:31

3rd Quarter

N – Michael Peterson 45 pass to Austyn Dwight, (Peterson to Wyatt Spade)

4th Quarter

S – Coldren 9-yard pass to Starzinski, (run failed), 5:49

S – Kacynski 45 yard run, (conversion run), 3:53

N – Peterson 27 yard pass to Spade, (pass failed), :35

Overtime

S – Coldren 6-yard pass, (conversion run), 34-28