Rapp wasn't having any part of it. The senior spent the entire timeout jumping around and pumping himself up.

"I don't let it get to me," he said. "We've done it in practice a million times. I just laughed at it (the timeout)."

When play resumed, the left-footed Rapp booted an 18-yard field goal from the left hash mark, giving NCHS a 17-14 victory at Hancock Stadium in the nightcap of the Intercity Football Doubleheader.

The win snapped the Ironmen's six-game losing streak against rival BHS. Rapp's kick was dead center, though he admitted, "I missed a couple in practice (after simulated timeouts). But tonight, I got it together."

That did not surprise Coach Hud Venerable, who said Rapp showed signs "back in June this was going to be something he would be good at."

"He has worked a lot of long hours," Venerable said. "We've put him in some pressure situations in practice. Tonight happened the way we practiced it Tuesday. And you know what? He nailed it."

The kick came after BHS' Eren Eti had a 28-yard field goal attempt partially blocked on the Purple Raiders' overtime possession.

NCHS won the Big 12 Conference game despite turning the ball over five times and having a punt blocked. A big reason was sophomore running back Austin Davis, who rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

Davis' 68-yard run in the first quarter set up his own 5-yard touchdown. He added an 80-yard TD run in the third quarter to pull NCHS (2-0, 2-0) into a 14-all tie.

"It's nice to have that speed," Venerable said. "I thought our line did a nice job of run blocking and opening up some holes. And he does have the acceleration."

"We knew we had to bring it, because Bloomington is good every year," Davis said. "People thought Bloomington was going to win, but this is a different year. You can't base this season on how another year was."

BHS, ranked No. 4 in the state in Class 6A, fell to 1-1 overall and in the conference.

The Raiders were in field goal range in the final minute of regulation, but on third down, Stephen Esch's slant pass to David Cook was tipped into the air and intercepted by NCHS' Shannon Cobb with eight seconds left.

"It's my job to put the kids in position to win. I thought I had that opportunity at the end, and I elected to do something that may not have put is in that position," BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer said. "Knowing we could kick from where we were at, I opted to try something over the top.

"I think both teams fought hard and there were some mistakes that were made. Credit to Community, I felt in the first half and the flow of their defense in the second they were taking us out of things we wanted to do."

Esch, a junior, came off the bench late in the first half and directed a seven-play, 50-yard scoring drive to tie the game at 7-all. He was 3 of 4 passing for 40 yards on the drive, capping it with his own 1-yard run.

BHS took a 14-7 lead midway through the third quarter on a 1-yard run by fullback Chris Jameson. It came seven plays after a blocked punt by Dustin Kelly, whose interception also set up the Raiders' first score.

NCHS countered with interceptions from Clifford Ford, Jake Detmers and Cobb, and a fumble recovery by Jon Gannon.

"This is indescribable," Rapp said. "I'll remember this the rest of my life, and so will the rest of these guys."