But a funny thing happened on the way to homecoming glory -- somebody forgot to tell the Panthers to roll over and play dead.

It was late in the fourth quarter. The Mariners (3-5) lead 20-14 with possession of the ball and time on their side. All that needed to be done was to grind out the clock and get ready for the homecoming dance when suddenly a fumble -- potentially the costliest fumble of the year -- ended up in the hands of a Skyview player. A few plays later, the Panthers were knocking on the door -- first and goal inside the 5-yard-line with time left to punch it into the end zone and pull out a last-second upset.

It was gut check time for the Mariners' defense, known to fans as "the Hit Squad."

After three tries and three failures to find pay dirt, Skyview had one final chance -- fourth down and goal to go against a suddenly impenetrable wall of Homer defenders. The ball was snapped and went to running back Bradley Lapp, who had carried 13 times for 34 yards on the afternoon.

Lapp drove up the middle and saw a hole. He went for it, trying to glide through and lean forward into the end zone, when the hole was suddenly filled just as quickly as it had appeared by Mariner defensive back Justin Frink.

Frink wrestled Lapp to the ground one yard short of the goal line, preserving victory for his team and becoming the hero of homecoming.

And the crowd went wild.

"What a way to end his career," said Mariners Head Coach Camron Wyatt of Frink. "He stepped right in the hole and made the hit. He's a quiet young man but he was the hero at the end. We said all week that this game would be up to the defense."

The defensive nature of the game -- both teams battled on the ground for field position throughout -- was primarily due to the field conditions, said Wyatt. The grass, especially in the middle of the field, was wet, muddy and torn up from the JV game earlier in the day.

"That field was like running on an ice cube. The ball got wet and it became a sluggish game," he said.

The game was fought in the trenches, with the two teams combining for 252 rushing yards and completing only six passes between them. The Mariners' sole pass completion of the day was a 15-yard lob from Cole Jacobsen to Frink for a third quarter touchdown.

David Craig and Jacobsen shouldered much of the offensive workload for Homer, rushing for a combined 83 yards on 27 carries. For Skyview, Quint Markus ran 23 times for 122 yards and one touchdown.

It was the last game of the season for both teams and the last game ever for most of their seniors.

"When they get ready to go away after graduation, it's time for the next stage in their lives. We hope that playing this game helps them in that direction. When they're out in the real world, we hope they work hard and treat people with respect. It's not about winning and losing -- it's about laying the foundation for good people," said Wyatt.

Wyatt added that he expects the Mariners to contend in the Northern Lights Conference next year.

"I'm so excited for next year. We've got 20 or more seniors coming our way next year all skilled up to play good football," he said. "I'm ready to drive that bus."

Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaron.selbig@homernews.com.