With 24 seconds left in the game Del Val called for its last time out. The air was crisp and the energy on the field was at an all time low. 

Head coach Ben Ibach encouraged his boys to play on and push forward till the end. The game was not over yet. 

Varsity tight end Chase Heil explained that coach’s team message during the final timeout was “keep pushing, don’t give up, just keep going.”

Del Val was struggling to pull away as Warren Hills created a gap that seemed too hard to come back from. The score was 21-17 Warren Hills, and the buses had started to warm in the parking lot.

Then Chase Kraucheunas threw a calculated pass to Brayden Costello for a 4-yard touchdown, and after a successful extra point Del Val led 24-21. 

The atmosphere was electric. With 17 seconds left, it was the last push.

Warren Hills quarterback Chol Stevens threw a deep pass. The crowd held its breath. The pass was knocked incomplete, and the bleachers erupted as Del Val won the game.

With its third win of the season under Del Val’s belt, the homecoming clash against Bernards High School is four days away. 

“Bernards is a very tough team and they always are, but we’re gonna go in, make our corrections, and come up with a game plan for next week” Ibach said.