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CADILLAC - Travis Villeneuve has been a reliable kicker all season long for the Escanaba High School football team.

Villeneuve split the uprights with what might have been the biggest extra point of his career here Saturday as the Eskymos edged the Cadillac Vikings 28-27 in a double overtime Halloween thriller.

"It felt really good off my foot," Villeneuve said of the game winning kick. "I just had to tell myself it wasn't any different than all the other kicks I've made."

Cadillac had taken a 27-21 lead in the second overtime on a three yard run by junior quarterback Gary Silvers, but kicker Mike Weeks had his extra point attempt blocked by the middle of the Esky line. Mitch VanEffen tied the game at 27 for the Eskymos on a six yard run, setting the stage for Villeneuve's heroics.

"We didn't want our season to end," said VanEffen, who was selected Player of the Year Thursday by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. "Now we have a short time to enjoy this win and get ready for next week."

Escanaba advances to play at West Branch Ogemaw Heights in a Division 3 district championship game Saturday at 1 p.m.. The Falcons defeated Petoskey 8-0 in their district playoff opener.

"What an exciting win for our program," said Esky coach Dan Flynn. "The kids never gave up. They dug deep, made some big plays when they had to and Travis made a big kick."

Asked what he was thinking after the blocked kick, Flynn simply said "We're gonna win."

Each team certainly had its chances to emerge victorious. The Eskymos led 7-0 at halftime on a 14 yard run by VanEffen and the first of four extra points by Villeneuve, a U.P. Dream Team selection.

The Esky defense rejected two Cadillac threats in the first half, halting one drive at the three-yard line and VanEffen made a leaping one-handed pass interception in the end zone just before the intermission.

Cadillac tied the game at seven with one second remaining in the third quarter when halfback Jake Harrell took a swing pass from Silvers and raced 80 yards down the right sideline.

The game stayed tied until the fourth quarter when Escanaba recovered a botched Cadillac snap at the Viking 34. Nine plays later, including a conversion on fourth and four on Max VandeWiele's eight-yard pass to VanEffen, VandeWiele scored on a four yard sneak and the Eskymos regained the lead 14-7 with 5:12 left.

"We just kept saying in the huddle we've come too far not to win this game," said VandeWiele. "Nobody got down on themselves and we just went one play at a time."

Cadillac would not go away quietly. Harrell blasted in from the three yard line with 44 seconds to go to cap off a six play-78 yard drive, started by a Silvers' 60 yard run. Weeks kicked the extra point to tie things up at 14, setting the stage for overtime dramatics.

Each team scored in the first extra stanza. VandeWiele kept around left end for a 10-yard touchdown run on Escanaba's first play, while Tyler Ellsworth leaped into the air on fourth down from the one yard line to tie the game at 21 and keep the Vikings alive temporarily.

A steady rain fell for most of the game, just like it had all week in the Cadillac area, leaving the grass field at Veterans Memorial Stadium caked in mud in many spots.

"We would have preferred to play on artificial turf, but it didn't work out that way," said a dejected Cadillac coach Jim Webb. "The kids played their hearts out. I feel horrible for the seniors, but I told the underclassmen hopefully we can learn from and build on this disappointment."

The Vikings end their season at 8-2. Esky is also 8-2.

Escanaba070777-28

Cadillac 0 0 7 7 7 6 - 27

Second Quarter

E - VanEffen 14 yard run (Villeneuve kick) 8:55

Third Quarter

C - Harrell 80 yard pass from Silvers (Weeks kick) 0:01

Fourth Quarter

E - VandeWiele four yard run (Villeneuve kick) 5:12

C - Harrell three yard run (Weeks kick) 0:44

First Overtime

E - VandeWiele 10 yard run (Villeneuve kick)

C - Ellsworth one yard run (Weeks kick)

Second Overtime

C - Silvers three yard run (kick blocked

E - VanEffen six yard run (Villeneuve kick)

Statistics

Total Offense - Escanaba (205 yards; 177 rushing, 28 passing); Cadillac (330 yards; 243 rushing, 87 passing).

Rushing - Escanaba- VanEffen 18-73; VandeWiele 18-66; Hall 2-20; Rogers 5-3; Villeneuve 4-15. Cadillac- Silvers 19-142; Harrell 20-80; Ellsworth 8-21.

Passing - Escanaba- VandeWiele 3-8-0 28 yards; Cadillac- Silvers 3-5-1 interception 87 yards.

Receiving - Escanaba- Wakefield 1-14; VanEffen 1-9; Englund 1-5; Cadillac- Harrell 1-80; Norman 2-7.