There’s something about the first football game of the season. Call it jitters or butterflies, no matter how much practice or how many scrimmages, the intensity of the first game of the year is different. The fans are out in force, the band is playing in the stands, and all eyes are on the field.

Last Friday night was the Tiger’s opening game, not only for the season, but also the home opener. As the game progressed it soon became clear that the team with the least amount of mistakes would be the one to win the night. It also became clear that the team that could overcome the adversity caused by their own hands would come out on top.

So it was as the DeKalb County High School Tigers faced off with border rival Warren County. It would be a battle right to the last seconds of the game.

At the start of the game, the Pioneers would win the toss and elect to defer to the second half. On the kickoff, Malachi Trapp would return the ball to the DeKalb 39, setting up the first scoring drive of the evening.

QB Briz Trapp would connect in the air to Josh May for a completion to the 50, then running back Colby Barnes would power his way to the Pioneer 40, then the 37. After an off sides call against Warren, Trapp would call his own number, taking it to the 25. A hold would back the Tigers up, then a Barnes run would net one yard. A pass to Holden Trapp would then fall incomplete, but another on the next play had Trapp running to the end zone, fumbling, and John Ellis falling on the ball for six points with 8:04 left in the first quarter. A bad hold on the PAT resulted in a failed run for two points, but DeKalb was up 6-0.

The Pioneers made it known they were not about to go away and quickly mounted a scoring drive of their own. Starting at their own 24, a pass to Alex Van Vuuren was good to the 36, then a run by Jaythan Pleasant was good to the Tiger’s 40.

Sticking to the ground, a run by Braylon Grayson went to the 35, then another by Pleasant was good to the 27. A run by Dawson Haley was stopped at the 18, but a false start would back them up five. Another Grayson carry went to the 16, then a keeper by Nathan Elrod was stopped at the 12. Facing a fourth and three deep in Tiger territory, the Pioneers went for it. The Grayson run was good to the seven, giving Warren new life. The next play, a keeper, was good for six. The PAT was good, and the Pioneers took a 7-6 lead with 2:19 left in the first.

It was on the next kickoff that mistakes by both teams would start to mount. Holden Trapp would return the kick for an 81-yard touchdown. Once again a bad hold on the PAT would result in John Ellis running for his life, stopped short, but DeKalb had regained the lead, 12-7, with 2:04 left in the first.

The Pioneer would start their next drive from their own 20, but would only get to their own 37 before having to punt.

A hold on the return would back the Tigers up to their own 25, but a pass to Holden Trapp had them back to the 33 on the next play, then a pair of runs by Barnes was good for a first down at the 38. A Briz Trapp keeper took the ball to the 40, then the quarterback would throw an interception, with the Pioneers’ Grayson taking the ball all the way back to the Tigers’ 19.

Warren looked to get back on top, but the DeKalb D-line had other thoughts. A keeper was good only to the 17, then a pass to Dawson Haley was stopped in the backfield for a two-yard loss. A Pleasant carry was good to the 12, and on a fourth and three again the Pioneers rolled the dice. A Grayson carry went up the middle to the five. The next play, Grayson carried again, this time for points. With the PAT Warren was up 14-12 with 5:53 left in the half.

Both teams would have possession before the half ended, but the score remains 14-12 Pioneers.

A Tigers’ kick out of bounds set the Pioneers up at their own 35 at the start of the third quarter, and Warren looked to put some distance on the scoreboard. Right off the bat a run by Pleasant went all the way to the DeKalb five, but a personal foul on the Pioneers would back them up to the 19.

A Grayson run would lose a couple of yards, then a Haley run went to the 16, but a late hit on the Tigers put the ball at the eight. Grayson carried to the five, then Pleasant ran wide right for the touchdown. After a false start on the PAT, the kick was good and The Pioneers took the 21-12 lead with 10:05 left in the third.

Fearing another return for a touchdown, the Pioneers squibbed the kickoff, resulting in Ellis returning the ball to the Pioneer 48. From there the Tigers mounted a drive that looked to put points on the board.

Sticking mostly to the ground, DeKalb pushed all the way down to the Pioneer 10, but there a fumbled handoff between Briz Trapp and Barnes ended with the Pioneers recovering. Things looked bleak for the Tigers.

It was then that the DeKalb defense stepped up their play. Warren ran three plays for zero yards, and facing a fourth and 10 from the Tigers’ 10, they decided to punt. The snap flew over the punter’s head and through the back of the end zone for a safety.

With the safety, the Pioneers were forced to free kick back to the Tigers. The kickoff went to Holden Trapp again, and this time he ran it back for a 77-yard touchdown. Another bad hold on the PAT resulted on no points, but DeKalb was back in business, one point down, 20-21, with 3:11 left in the third.

Once again, Warren made a statement on their next drive that they were still in it to win it. After a return to their own 32, they were pushed back to the 27, then gained to the 28. Facing a third and 14, deep in their own territory, Elrod called his own number and took all the way in for six. A two-point attempt was stopped, but the Pioneers were up 27-20 with 1:22 left in the third.

Things got even worse for DeKalb on the kickoff. The Tigers couldn’t control the ball on the kick and Warren ended up recovering deep in Tiger territory. It wouldn’t take long for the Pioneers. A Pleasant run to the outside was good to the seven, a Grayson carry went to the five, and then Haley went up the middle for a touchdown. With the PAT, the Pioneers commanded a two score lead, 34-20, with 11:55 left in the game.

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the stands on the DeKalb side of the field. But, the Tigers were not through playing and show a “Never say die” attitude.

Another squib had Holden Trapp return to the DeKalb 30, then Barnes went up the middle for nine. QB Briz Trapp slipped in the backfield for a two-yard loss, but another Barnes carry was good to the 41. A pass to Josh May on the next play was good to the 44, then another Barnes run was stuffed at the line.

Another May reception took the ball into Pioneer territory at the 43, and later a Barnes carry went up the middle to the 39. A pass to Holden Trapp fell incomplete, and facing a fourth and six from the Warren 39, DeKalb went for it. A Briz Trapp keeper was good to the 24.

Two plays later, a pass to Malachi Trapp was complete in the end zone. With a successful PAT, the Tigers had cut the lead, 34-27, with 6:46 left to play.

Once again the pressure was on the Tiger defense, and again they stepped up. The Pioneers would start their next drive at their own 20, and they would actually lose yards. Aided by a delay of game penalty, Warren would punt at their own 10, with DeKalb’s Ellis returning to the Pioneer 32.

With the clock counting down the seconds, the Tigers battled not only the Pioneers but also time. Trapp would take a sack back at the 36, but a Barnes run took them back to the 30. A keeper took the ball to the 25, and facing a fourth and three DeKalb went for it. The Barnes carry was good to the 21, giving them a new set of downs.

A rare pass to Barnes was good to the 12, then another was good for the touchdown, with 1:04 left in the game. Perhaps fearing the kicking game, the Tigers decided to go for two. Barnes was handed the ball and was in the end zone. DeKalb had retaken the lead, 35-34.

The Pioneers would get one last chance, but now they were battling the clock. They would make it to their own 43, but penalties would doom their efforts. The Tigers would claim the 35-34 victory.

“I’m so proud of them,” Head Coach Steve Trapp said after the game. “They never folded. They had several opportunities to just drop their heads and not continue to play, but they came through. I’ve told them that typically when you make that many mistakes you don’t win a football game. They (Warren) were cleaner, but at the end we got them out of what they do best.”

“We made a lot of big plays, but we also made a lot of bonehead plays,” Trapp continued. “I’m proud of how they stepped up at the end.”

The Tigers travel to Carthage next Friday as the face the Smith County Owls in their first away game of the season.