DUNLAP – With the game on the line, Concord turned to its offensive line Friday night.

It definitely worked out very well in the end for the Minutemen.

Host Concord used its size advantage and physicality up front to control the line of scrimmage all night long, especially when it mattered most, to topple NorthWood 15-12 in a clash of state ranked squads at Jake Field.

The Class 5-A No. 6 Minutemen got a five-yard touchdown run by senior Jack Lietzan with just 52.8 seconds to play to turn back the Class 4-A No. 1 Panthers in a huge Northern Lakes Conference clash.

Concord, which dropped a 50-32  decision to the Panthers a year ago, improves to 3-0 overall and moves to 2-0 in the NLC. The Panthers, who won the NLC at 7-0 in 2016, drop to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in league action.

NorthWood had won 14 straight regular season games since dropping a 31-21 league contest at Northridge on Sept. 25, 2015.

This game was simply won by the play of the Minutemen in the trenches.

The hosts went 68 yards on the final drive, chewing up over seven minutes off the clock. The Minutemen, who were led up front by stud 6-4, 290-pound senior Grant Magnuson, ran the ball 16 times on the game-winning 17-play drive.

Lietzan, who played quarterback a year ago, busted in from five yards out for the winner. The physical Minutemen converted a pair of fourth-and-one plays on the impressive drive, both on hard-nosed runs by senior Dominick DeBroka.

“We knew that our advantage was up front on both sides of the ball tonight,” said Concord coach Craig Koehler. “That was to our advantage on that last drive. We were more physical up front and just ran the ball.

“NorthWood is a hell of a team. I think that they are built to make a long run this season. They are just really skilled. I was just really happy with the heart we showed defensively. The effort that we had to run to the ball.”

The Concord defense also found a way to slow down the athletic, speedy playmaking Panthers. NorthWood did outgain the hosts 309-235 in total yards, but found the going tough.

NorthWood Quarterback Landen Gessinger, who had rushed for 356 yards in dominating wins over Jimtown and Fairfield the first two weeks, was limited to just 89 yards on 19 carries.

The young NorthWood offensive line, which returned just one starter from last season, had its growing pains Friday night.

“Football starts and finishes up front and that was definitely evident tonight,” said NorthWood coach Nate Andrews. “Our offensive line is a work in progress and we knew that would be the case this season. I have the utmost confidence in our kids and coaching staff that we will improve as the season progresses.

“We had a couple of missed blocks here or there tonight and missed some run lanes. They exposed some weaknesses that we have.”

“Their last drive was the same thing they did the entire game. We knew they had the capability to do that. We are what we are and so are they. It panned out to be a great game.”

The biggest play of the night came from  Jakale Conerly of the Minutemen. The junior defensive back, who is playing his first year of football for the Minutemen, intercepted a halfback pass from Jaden Miller with just 10.1 seconds to play before halftime on a fourth-and-goal play. That game changer kept the Minutemen in front 7-6 going into the locker room at halftime.

NorthWood got the ball to the Concord four-yard line on a big pass play to Brayton Yoder. The Panthers then lost a yard on two run plays before an incomplete pass. NorthWood then called a timeout, followed by one by Concord before the game’s pivotal play.

“Credit them,” remarked Andrews of the stop by Concord. “They did a great job calling timeout before the play and diagnosing the formation. They sold out on the play and made it.”

“The goal line stand and interception was exceptional,” noted Koehler. “We had a breakdown to give up a big pass play to let them down there. But our guys stopped them as a team. That galvanized us. That’s the message we’ve been preaching to them about coming together.”

Concord took a 7-0 lead on a 18-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Ethan Cain midway through the opening quarter.

The Panthers cut the lead to 7-6 when DeAndre Smart hauled in a pass from Gessinger, made a couple of great shake-and-bake moves and streaked down the sideline for a 58-yard score with 5:22 to play before halftime.

NorthWood took its first lead of the game with 8:10 left. Gessinger connected with Payton Bear on a seven-yard touchdown toss to make it 12-7 with 8:10 to play.

Senior Gessinger was 8-16 passing for 155 yards. Brayton Yoder had eight carries for 70 yards and three receptions for 62 yards.

Lietzan led the ground game for Concord, which accumulated 168 yards, with 15 rushes for 74 yards. Sophomore Cain was 9-16 passing for 67 yards and had 17 carries for 47 yards. Damien Jackson had five receptions for 56 yards.

The game marked the return of Bronson Yoder for the Panthers. The junior had missed the first two games after having surgery in August for a broken wrist. Yoder, who totaled 20 touchdowns and had 100 tackles in 2016, had one reception for 18 yards and also had 10 tackles in his return.

Spencer Brubacher led the NorthWood defense with 13 total tackles. Will Ingle had eight. Brubacher also had an interception.

NorthWood hosts Goshen (1-2, 1-0) and Concord plays at Wawasee (1-2, 0-1) in NLC games next Friday night. Goshen beat Elkhart Memorial 24-8 and Wawasee lost to Northridge 37-12 in league play Friday night.