POULSBO — Appropriately enough, it took more than the usual 40 minutes of football to decide the winner of Friday’s Poulsbo/Kingston game.

The game is always the capstone of the season for the two cross-county rivals. But this year, with each team coming into the game with a 3-2 record, it promised to be close.

Early on, the game was nothing but wet. The players had to compete on the muddy, rain-soaked field at North Kitsap High School, and early on the ball squirted free or slipped out of wet hands.

An early Poulsbo drive stalled after quarterback Favian Sabado was hit behind the line of scrimmage and sacked by Kingston’s Randy Welsh.

Kingston’s first drive found a little more success. Jared Prince juked a pair of defenders and turned his kick return into a long run, giving the Cavs good field position.

Prince, the starting quarterback, then moved his team up the field, keeping the ball and running for 21 yards, then finding Jordan Henry for a 13-yard pass play.

But it was running back Anthony Wayland who provided the biggest play of the drive. With the Cavs poised on Poulsbo’s 32-yard line, Wayland took the handoff, weaved behind a pair of blockers, and wasn’t brought down until he had reached the two-yard line.

With only two more yards to go, the Cavs got the job done, with running back Todd Sand punching the ball in and giving Kingston a 6-0 lead.

Kingston’s Welsh picked off a Poulsbo pass moments later, but the Cavs weren’t able to convert, and the ball went back to Poulsbo.

Poulsbo then struck quickly, as Brian Fabrega got the ball, burst forward up the left sideline, and sprinted for 68 yards before he had reached the end zone.

With the game tied at 6, Poulsbo then took advantage of the wet field and a bit of trickery, surprisingly booting an onsides kick and grabbing the ball back as it bounced away from the Cavs.

The Panthers managed to convert again, and again it was Fabrega who scored — this time a 19-yard scamper, which ended when he dodged away from a Cavalier at the goal line.

Poulsbo held the 12-6 lead as halftime arrived.

Both teams had drives collapse in the third quarter, and the score remained the same as the fourth quarter arrived.

Then, in front of a stadium still packed with buzzing junior-high fans, the Cavs scored again. Facing a fourth-and-eight, Cavs quarterback Prince kept the ball himself, dodged two tacklers, and ran the ball for a touchdown of his own.

The TD tied the game at 12, but the kick failed.

With more than nine minutes to go, both teams tried to go for the win. But despite gains made on both sides — another Prince keeper, a Sabado jump pass to Daniel Yee — the game remained tied as regulation ended.

In junior-high football, each team is given the ball at the opponent’s 15-yard line.

If the first team scores, the second team is given the chance to equal or better it.

Kingston won the coin toss and got the ball with 15 yards to go.

It was Prince who got the first carry, rolling then running up the right side until he was pushed out at the two-yard-line.

A fumble on the next play made Cavs’ hearts flutter, but the ball was recovered.

Poulsbo’s defense came up big on the third down play, as a host of Panthers, including Brock Tidball and Ray Quitano, tackled Prince for a loss.

But Prince had the final say on fourth-and-six.

Prince rolled to his left. His pass fluttered as it approached a waiting Jordan Henry… who was blocked by a Poulsbo defensive back.

But Henry quickly wormed is way in front of the DB and caught the ball, which was knee-high, for the touchdown.

The Cavs’ half of the stadium cheered. And Kingston’s John Adler made the field goal — an important moment, because kicks count for two points in junior high football where point after attempts only count as one.

Now Poulsbo would have to score and kick a point after to tie.

Their quarterback, Sabado, proved Prince’s equal, first streaking forwards for 13 yards, then punching the ball in for a touchdown.

With the rain still coming down, and the crowd waiting, Poulsbo’s kick was attempted.

And blocked.

Kingston won the game, 20-18.

Who blocked the kick?

Kingston coach Tony Chisholm isn’t sure.

“They all said they were in on it,” he said after the game, smiling broadly.

“It was a hard-fought game. Poulsbo was prepared,” Chisholm said. “They had a few trick plays for us, like those (onsides) kicks, and we weren’t ready for them … but we kept bouncing back. We never gave up.”