SALLISAW – If you are a fan of defensive football, this one was for you. Both the Sallisaw Black Diamonds (7-1) and the Poteau Pirates (5-3) held each other scoreless through the first half.

In the third quarter Poteau drove down to the Sallisaw 23 yard line but the Black Diamond defense came up big when Broque Oft intercepted a Sam Tecla pass at the 6 to end the Pirate Drive and give the ball back to Sallisaw with just over 7 minutes remaining in the third

The Pirates got on the board first but not until early the final period. A 2-yard dive by Spencer Perry put the Pirates on top 7-0 with over 11 minutes still remaining in the contest.

A few minutes later another Poteau drive ended at the 26 yard line of the Diamonds, when Poteau’s Coiln Adams was short on a 33 yard field goal attempt.

With time running out on Sallisaw after three unsuccessful attempts at a score, on a fourth down from the 2 yard line with just 26 seconds left in the game, Kase Adams connected with Caden Blount to get the Black Diamonds on the board.

Coach Brandon Tyler, who is known for going for two-point conversions, lined his team up to do so, but ran Brian Castor in late to tie the game and send it to overtime.

In the OT, Sallisaw got the ball first with play starting at the Poteau 10 yard line. On third down a nifty Kenyon Hill to Cooper Jackson to Kase Adams reverse ended with an Adams toss into the end zone to Cooper Cox for the go-ahead score. Castor added the extra point, and the Black Diamond led 14-7 with the Pirates OT attempt yet to come.

After three tries to get the ball into the end zone, on the Pirates final attempt from the six, a Tecla pass to Tyler Fassio fell incomplete to end the game and give Sallisaw their seventh win of the season.

Poteau will return home next week to take on the Hilldale Hornets (4-4) while Sallisaw finishes their home schedule with the 1-7 Stilwell Indians.