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STANWOOD, Iowa—Friday night’s Wilton-North Cedar game was full of reasons why people watch sports.

It was a night stocked with inconceivable wackiness, back-and-forth drama and an overall experience that took the fans’ breath away.

But the one thing North Cedar fans will remember from Friday night, was seeing something they’ve never seen before. They’ve never seen their team play a 10th game.

The Knights finally reached the substate plateau for the first time in their 15-year existence, denying hard-charging and heart-broken Wilton 28-21 in overtime.

Tyler Canfield’s 1-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the extra period, followed by Casey Jones’ interception, sealed the deal for North Cedar (5-4, 4-3 Class 2A District 5), which clinched the No. 4 seed out of its district and will play Davis County (Bloomfield) in Wednesday’s substate round.

That is new ground for the Knights since they broke away from the Lincoln-Stanwood co-op in 1995.

“I have no clue,” Jones said when simply asked to explain what had just transpired. “This is the greatest thing ever. I’m speechless. This is amazing.”

North Cedar was in control for most of the game, leading 21-0 when the horn sounded on the third quarter. But Wilton’s Austin Anderson scored from five yards out on the first play of the fourth, and the Beavers (4-5, 3-4) cut the lead to 21-19 with more than five minutes to play.

“It wasn’t pretty in the second half,” said North Cedar’s rookie coach Clay Harrold, moments after sustaining a Gatorade bath from his players. “But we just sucked it up and found a way.”

Edleman, whose versatility makes him a human version of the Swiss Army Knife, scored three times in the first half. He caught a 75-yarder from quarterback Tyler Braughton and a 15-yard halfback throw from Jace Ahrendsen, and also brought back an interception 88 yards in the final minute of the first half.

“The first half was us, the second half was them,” Edleman said, fighting back tears. “It’s the heart. We had it deep down, it’s the desire. We wanted it all year.”

But for all his gifts, Edleman probably wishes he was three feet taller too. Two snaps flew over his head on punt attempts. Wilton’s Cory Gorsuch fell on the first in the end zone for six points and Edleman was forced to run the second out for a safety, which tied things up.

Wilton overcame a 21-point deficit in the final quarter, despite holding the ball for merely 2:29.

“We made too many mistakes in the first half to have that opportunity,” Wilton coach Lance Pedersen. “I couldn’t be (more) proud of my team in this game than I have all year.”