North Farmington erased a 24-8 deficit, then stopped South Lyon in overtime for a 44-38 win Friday night. The result put both teams into a four-way tie for second in the Lakes Valley Conference.
Jacob Stoyanovich needed only 21 seconds to give South Lyon the lead on a 68-yard touchdown run. North Farmington eventually answered with a 44-38 overtime win on Friday night. The Raiders stopped South Lyon on three straight plays, then quarterback Elijah Cobb ended the game with an interception.
Independent Michigan high school football score summaries also recorded the Raiders' overtime victory.
The Sept. 25 game brought together two teams with strong starts to the season. South Lyon had won three straight after losing its opener to Clarkston. North Farmington came in at 3-1. Several Oakland County conference races were still tightly packed in Week 5.
North Farmington represents Farmington Public Schools, and the school is in Farmington Hills. The district's official athletics information lists local schedules and activities.
Both teams are now 3-1 in Lakes Valley Conference play. North Farmington is 4-1 overall, while South Lyon is 3-2. They share second place with two other teams.
Defense decides overtime
North Farmington had the first overtime possession. Cobb scored on a 7-yard run. He was then stopped on what would have been his fifth 2-point conversion run of the night.
South Lyon needed a touchdown. The Raiders stopped the Lions' running game on the first two plays. They forced an incomplete pass on third down. Cobb intercepted the next attempt.
That finish looked unlikely early.
South Lyon took control with Stoyanovich's 68-yard touchdown run. The Lions later built a 24-8 lead.
South Lyon controls early
North Farmington moved ahead briefly on its next drive. Jaden Rogers broke a 32-yard run, and Cobb followed with a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Cobb added the 2-point conversion for an 8-7 lead more than three minutes later.
South Lyon responded with Stoyanovich's 42-yard field goal. With 5:55 left in the second quarter, Carter McGlinch threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Kirshman. Tyler Newton then scored on a 9-yard run. That made the score 24-8.
A penalty wiped out Jeremiah Larkin's 95-yard kickoff return. It was another costly break in a game decided by small margins.
North Farmington cut the lead before halftime. Cobb hit Davell Harrison for 47 yards, then found him again for a 4-yard touchdown. Cobb ran for the conversion, making the score 24-16.
The comeback matched the tight Week 5 race described in an earlier matchup preview of Oakland County high school football.
Pregame figures from MaxPreps ranked Cobb 24th in Michigan in passing yards, with 589. He ranked 21st in rushing yards, with 414. The numbers showed how much North Farmington relied on him on both sides of the offense.
North Farmington also entered after a busy September. The Raiders beat Lakeland 54-26, lost to South Lyon East 35-34 and beat Walled Lake Central 72-14.
Raiders seize the third quarter
North Farmington changed the game after halftime. The Raiders scored on a 39-yard pass to Jonathan Majcher. Cobb then kept the ball on a designed 7-yard touchdown run with five seconds left in the third quarter.
Those plays produced 22 unanswered points. North Farmington led 30-24.
South Lyon answered with a 34-yard play-action touchdown catch by Gage Wutke. The extra point put the Lions back in front, 31-30, with 9:25 left in regulation.
North Farmington responded on fourth-and-5 from the South Lyon 30-yard line. Cobb kept the ball, spun away from a defender and scored. The Raiders led 38-31.
South Lyon refused to fold.
Newton broke several tackles on a 17-yard touchdown run with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter. The score tied the game and sent it to overtime.
Next games
North Farmington travels to Milford in Week 6. South Lyon heads to Lakeland.
The standings are clear. Both teams remain 3-1 in conference play and now share second place with two other teams.
North Farmington scored 36 points in the second half and overtime. Its defense then stopped South Lyon on the final possession.
For the Raiders, this was more than a narrow overtime win. They recovered from a 24-8 deficit, scored 22 straight points in the third quarter and made the last defensive stand of the night. North Farmington leaves Friday with a share of second place in the LVC and strong momentum.
Families following the teams will see that momentum tested right away. North Farmington's next road game will show whether the Farmington Hills program can carry the comeback into Week 6. South Lyon will try to reset against Lakeland.
