Williams Field coach Steve Campbell had to anxiously wait until the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard at Black Hawk Stadium Friday night to celebrate his team’s win against Campo Verde and 100th as head coach.

After trailing 21-14 at halftime, the Black Hawks rallied to knot the game at 21 before falling behind 27-21 and ultimately winning on a last-minute drive capped by Zack Shepherd’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cupp-Allen with 12 seconds left to secure the 28-27 victory.

“We’re brothers out there,” Shepherd said. “I just told them to go out there and compete, and we got the job done.”

Shepherd threw for 115 yards on 10-for-21 passing in the team’s first region game of the year, and Cupp-Allen came up with critical catches on the final drive to seal the deal for the Black Hawks (4-2, 1-1).

Cupp-Allen finished with 95 yards on nine receptions as well as the game-winning touchdown, and Campbell said he has come into his own over the past few weeks.

“We’ve known this about Zack,” Campbell said about the clutch plays in the fourth quarter. “This was a big game for Cupp, though. He became the dude tonight.”

Campbell also mentioned the fight and resilience he saw in his players and how this game against the Coyotes (5-1, 0-1) will help them moving forward.

“We’ll hopefully use this game as a springboard,” Campbell said. “Teams can have good records and not make the playoffs in 5A so this was a big game for us. It was nice to see the guys be all in and find a way to come together and pull it out.”

Campo Verde set the pace of play early with a quick touchdown by running back Matt Leazier and interception by Hayden Webber off a deflected Shepherd pass that resulted in a pick-six touchdown for the Coyotes.

The Black Hawks, however, were simply too effective offensively in the second half to allow Campo Verde to get away with its mistakes.

“We had a couple three-and-outs in the second half that they capitalized on,” Campo Verde coach Max Ragsdale said. “Their record doesn’t indicate how good of a football team they are. They are very well-coached and a very talented team.”

Leazier rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in the loss, and quarterback EJ Gálvez threw for more than 130 yards and a touchdown, but Williams Field’s offensive attack led by back Jaden Thompson (30 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns) and the tandem of Shepherd and Cupp-Allen was too much for the Coyotes to overcome.

“Coach Ragsdale has done a great job with that program,” Campbell said. “They’re a great team, and this was a big game for both teams.”

The loss ended Campo Verde’s bid at an undefeated season and snapped a two-game losing streak for the Black Hawks. Campbell recalled a point in the game where he sensed people accepting defeat and spoke about why a team should never be counted out.

“I heard someone say, ‘pack the team bus up,’” Campbell said regarding the deficit the team faced in the fourth quarter. “But I said ‘Don’t say that. The game ain’t over (until the clock reads zero).’”

Next week, both teams will play at home Friday. Williams Field will take on the Poston Butte Broncos (3-2), and Campo Verde will play the Vista Grande Spartans (0-5). Both games begin at 7 p.m.