POULSBO — The full moon had already waxed, but its bewitching spell still lingered over the North Kitsap Stadium.

On Friday night during Viking homecoming football action against the Bremerton Knights, both teams mirrored each other’s plays, almost identically.

If one team pulled ahead, missed an extra point, or rocked a pass the other did the exact same thing on the next possession. If one team forced the punt on downs the other team did too. If one team fumbled the ball so did the other.

But once the moon relinquished its spell on the gridiron, the Vikings won by seven in a white-knuckled overtime battle, 48-41.

“It was just one of those games,” head coach Steve Frease said. “The kids were resilient. We had a lot of adversity and they overcame it.”

With the clock wiped clean the Vikes got the first opportunity for a game-winning scoring effort, and the ball was placed on the 25-yard line. Senior Brad DeShano rushed for the first down in two carries. Two downs later it was fourth and goal at about the 5-yard line. Quarterback Kevin Stringer ran out of harm’s way to the left, literally tossed the ball to DeShano who plowed and dove into the end zone.

DeShano rushed 198 of the Vikes total 211 rushing yards and ran in four touchdowns.

“He (DeShano) probably had his best game on both sides of the ball,” Frease said. “Our line did a great job blocking and our two lead blockers (Taylor) Chisholm and (Luis) Serrato did a great job when we ran lead with Brad.”

Zach Sampson’s overtime kick was good.

Earlier in the fourth quarter the Knights missed an extra point, which meant the Vikes could’ve snagged the lead and the game once and for all. However, Sampson, mirroring Bremerton, missed the extra point, tying the game at 41-41. Then late in the fourth North had a chance to win it all with a field goal. Sampson’s kick was no good, forcing the overtime period.

In overtime, it was a different story, as Sampson’s extra point kick went straight through the uprights.

It was sweet revenge for the kicker who has Arizona State University and the University of Washington interested in his kicking foot, to polish off the game-deciding effort.

“It’s hard to let them down when you know you can make it. It hurts a lot,” Sampson said after the game. But kicking in overtime changed his outlook. “It makes it all go away. It makes that moment that much better.”

But even the Viking’s winning touchdown wasn’t freed from the sway of the supernatural.

Two overzealous Viking fans rushed the field, but the game wasn’t over, as the Knights hadn’t taken their turn at a touchdown attempt.

The officials called an “Unsportsman like conduct” penalty against North, and after a period of bated-breath deliberation the touchdown stood.

North put the stops on Bremerton’s overtime effort, holding them at the 15-yard line.

“It was an exciting game,” Frease said. “Our fans got behind us and that was critical.”

At more than one point during Friday’s football action, players on the line turned to the stands and with a series of arm gestures requested a few extra props from the fans.

It worked as Frease said the stadium was the loudest he’d ever heard during the overtime showdown.

The Vikings set the stage in the first 90 seconds of the game, as Taylor Chisholm — North’s homecoming king — rushed four yards into the end zone. The kick was good.

It took the Knights almost the entire duration of the first to answer with a touchdown, but they did.

And then the night’s — call it magic — ensued.

Lead and momentum changes, fumbles, missed kicks, a string of penalties — the Vikings had eight penalties in 110 yards — plagued both teams.

But North, ranked No. 10 in the state according to Associated Press, is a squad of fighters.

The Vikings, 4-1 in league and 6-1 overall travel to Olympic on Friday to find themselves one last time in a similar position as the Knights, 1-5, as it’s Olympic’s homecoming.

It’s been a few years since North’s played Olympic, which is coming off a two-game winning streak.

“It’s always been a rivalry game,” Frease said of Friday’s pending contest.

The Vikings are in a three-way tie with Timberline and Capital for the Olympic League 3A No. 1 spot. North lost to Timberline by one and defeated Capital. Capital beat Timberline on Saturday.