Overland Park ? Just when it appeared the Lawrence High football team was poised to steal the game from the state’s top-ranked team, Shawnee Mission North snatched it back at the last moment — literally.

“We learned some valuable lessons tonight,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “You can’t give a good football team that many opportunities.”

The Indians beat the Lions, 21-19, Friday night at SM North District Stadium when the last opportunity LHS yielded gave a gutsy SM North quarterback just enough time on the clock to cap a heroic comeback.

SMN quarterback Mack Brown found Bryan Bennett for a 13-yard touchdown with 33 seconds remaining, completely turning the tide on what was set to be a comeback victory by the Lions.

Brown orchestrated a 10-play, 71-yard drive immediately after the Lions took a 19-15 lead on Jeff Colter’s 50-yard touchdown reception with 3:29 to play.

The SM North junior completed passes of nine, 17 and 22 yards during the drive, and then scrambled 20 yards to inside the LHS 5-yard line with 1:26 to go. He injured his leg on the play, but hobbled back in two plays later — on fourth down — to throw the game-winning pass.

“He’s a coach’s kid,” Wedd said of Brown, the son of SM North coach Sam Brown. “He understands the game. He makes plays because he’s been around the game his whole life.”

Brown was 13-of-28 passing for 164 yards and two scores. It’s hard to imagine what he could’ve done, though, had the Lions not turned in, by Wedd’s standards, a simply superb defensive performance.

The LHS defense was ferocious Friday, forcing five fumbles, recording four sacks and making big defensive stops when the Indians (2-0) were ready to break the game wide open.

Lawrence High's Brett Urban (22) is brought down by Shawnee Mission North's Bryan Bennett, left, and Nick Moeder. The Indians knocked off the Lions, 21-19, Friday at SM North District Stadium in Overland Park.

“The defense kept us in the game,” LHS quarterback Taylor Parker said. “They were the reason we were in the game. They were the reason we had a chance to win it.”

Added Wedd, “I thought the defense played as close to any Lawrence High football team in the olden days that I can remember.”

Offensively, the Lions (1-1) struggled to earn even a first down early in the game, and it took trickery to erase the early 7-0 deficit. On a fourth down midway through the second quarter, LHS brought out its kicking team, apparently to try a 42-yard field goal.

Parker, the holder, instead stood up and flicked the ball to a streaking Ian Handshy, who rumbled 25 yards for the score.

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“We put that play in this week,” Parker said. “We tried it out, and it turned out to be pretty successful.”

Parker ended with 89 yards on 5-of-13 passing. He also rushed for 34 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that tied the game at 13-all.

An LHS safety early in the fourth quarter put the Indians up 15-13, but later on, after Jeff Colter’s 59-yard punt return was called back for an illegal block, Parker found Colter on a screen pass for a 50-yard touchdown.

Lawrence High's Ian Handshy (38) avoids Shawnee Mission North would-be-tackler Chad Cross on a fake field goal. Handshy scored on the play, but the Lions eventually lost, 21-19, Friday at SM North District Stadium in Overland Park.

Unfortunately for the Lions, though, there was just enough time for the headstrong Brown to bring his team back to victory. The Indians, who beat Olathe North, 7-6, on a late touchdown last week, once again relied on Brown for a fourth-quarter comeback.

Now they prepare to play at Olathe South next week.

Lawrence High, meanwhile, will have a short week of work and hit the road again for a Thursday night game with Olathe East at Olathe District Activities Center.

Having one less day of practice usually isn’t appealing for a head coach, but Wedd will embrace anything that could erase the bad memories from Friday.

“That might be a plus,” Wedd said. “We want to get this bad taste out of our mouth. The best way to do that is to go to work on Saturday and play as soon as we can.”