VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakots.com) Entering Friday, Hi- Liner football had not yet faced adversity in 2023.

That changed when Devils Lake scored twice in 1:28 on back-to-back Hi-Liner turnovers to cut a 22-point edge, then hit the ball back with 5:15 to go.

But on a night with the Hi-Liner defense was torched for 311 yards passing by Firebird quarterback Mason Palmer, the defense earned the last laugh.

Kaleb McClaflin picked a Palmer pass and went 22 yards to the endzone with 4:30 remaining, sealing a 35-26 win at Roller Field in Devils Lake, pushing Valley City to 3-0 this season.

Bryson Heck threw for 248 yards and three scores, along with a scoring run,  in the win.  Connor Suhr had 83 yards receiving, including a score, and Derek Shape and Jonah Harstad had 54 and 41 yard touchdown receptions, respectively.

The grabs by the receiving corps built a Hi-Liner 28-6 lead.  But after Devils Lake cut it to 28-13, Valley City began to unravel.

Heck would be picked off by Drew Hofstad, leading to a Tate Estenson scoring catch that cut the leaf to 28-19 with 8:19 left.

A faulty exchange between Heck and runningback Carter Borg put the ball on the ground on the first play of the ensuing drive.  The Firebirds again made the miscue hurt, with Estensen, using a three-yard plunge to trim the lead to 28-26 at the 6:51 mark.

The Hi-Liners stalled, but Heck, who kicked well all night, pinned Devils Lake at their own five with a punt.  After two solid defensive stops, McClaflin grabbed Palmer’s throw over the middle and raced to the front corner of the endzone to seal the game.

Heck, with 248 yards passing, 5-5 on PATS, four touchbacks on kickoffs, the key punt late, and a rushing first down to help extinguish the clock, was the Ivy Real Estate Group Player of the Game.

Valley City hosts fifth-ranked Dickinson Friday.