The Lakota East Football team won a thrilling overtime win at Hamilton last Friday. AJ Fitzstephens booted a 19-yard field goal in overtime to give the Thunderhawks a dramatic 27-24 victory over the Big Blue.

Lakota East moves to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the Greater Miami Conference under second-year head coach Jon Kitna. The Thunderhawks have doubled last year’s win total.

“We’re trying to build a program,” Kitna said. “It’s a whole list of approach for us and our kids, the character piece. We’ve invited them into a journey from boys to men and getting them to take the last step which is to believe that they deserve good things to happen to them. I believe that.”

Lakota East senior quarterback JT Kitna threw for 124 yards and a touchdown on 14 of 21 passing. Ryder Hooks rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries, just weeks after suffering a broken collar bone in practice.

Kitna scored on a 3-yard keeper to put Lakota East on top 7-0 with 2:39 left in the first quarter. That drive took 9:21 off the clock.

Hamilton’s RJ Shephard scored on a 9-yard fake field goal run the following possession to tie it at 7-7 with 8:11 showing on the second-quarter clock.

Kitna then scored his second TD — a 1-yard plunge that made it 14-7 in favor of Lakota East near the end of the first half. Hamilton’s Jailen Morris responded with a 93-yard kickoff return as the second-quarter clock expired, tying the game at 14-14 heading into the half.

Antonio Mathis connected with Marlon Reed on a 58-yard TD pass to give Hamilton a 21-14 advantage midway through the third, and a Connor Stephens 35-yard field goal put the Big Blue up 24-14 with 4:45 remaining in the third.

Kitna hit Christopher Bouyer on a 4-yard touchdown pass as the third quarter was winding down. Lakota East’s Tyler Gruber kicked a 25-yard field goal to tie it at 24-24 with 6:28 left to play.

Mathis hit Shepard on a 27-yard touchdown pass that would have put Hamilton on top 30-24 with seconds left in the fourth, but a penalty negated the play, pushing Hamilton out of scoring position.

Lakota East deferred the ball to Hamilton (1-2, 0-2 GMC) to start the overtime period. The Thunderhawks held the Big Blue to a missed field goal before Fitzstephens sent the game-winner through the uprights on Lakota East’s next possession.

“Everyone doubted us,” said Cohen Reip, Lakota East’s senior linebacker who leads the GMC in tackles. “Going into this, we had a chip on our shoulder. Near the end, I think we just wanted it more. We had to get this win, pull out two in a row in the GMC. From there, we just keep on moving.”

Lakota East hosts Princeton this Friday. The 2-1 Vikings are coming off a 14-6 win over Lakota West.