Escanaba’s Nolan Bink (4) celebrates a touchdown with Tom Benoit (56) and Javon Stevenson (11) against Cadillac on Aug. 31, 2023 at Escanaba Athletic Field.

CADILLAC — One drive to change everything.

Those five words were shouted by Escanaba senior captain Javon Stevenson in the final moments of regulation. Little did anyone know that one drive did, in fact, change everything.

In the end it took more than 48 minutes, but the Eskymos earned their first win of the season, a 28-21 overtime road win over Cadillac on Friday.

With two seconds left facing a 3rd-and-goal from the Cadillac two yard line trailing 21-13, junior quarterback Nolan Bink rolled to his left, hoping to connect with Stevenson.

The pass fell incomplete. The final horn sounded. Cadillac’s band started playing its fight song.

But a yellow flag was on the grass.

The Vikings were flagged for pass interference. The Eskymos were awarded one untimed down, one last gasp for a score.

“It was a rough play,” Bink admitted. “But we had to bounce back with no time left.”

Bunk received the snap and rolled to his right. If Cadillac’s linebacker crashed down he had a throwing lane open over the top. But the linebacker stayed home, and every receiving option was blanketed like a toddler being tucked in at bedtime.

Bink ultimately kept the ball, narrowly squeezing inside the pylon for a touchdown.

Brody Ison successfully punched in the two-point conversion, and what appeared to be a 21-13 Vikings win turned into a 21-21 game entering overtime.

Esky started overtime on offense. No game clock, 1st-and-goal from the 10. Four tries to get into the endzone.

Ison gained two yards on first down. Then came second down. Bink was faced with two receiving options on his left hand side: Stevenson on a post, or Alex Stalboeger on a wheel route. Bink hurled the ball to Stalboerger, a pass which was precisely placed in front of Esky’s junior tight end and out of the hands of a nearby defender.

“I knew (Stalboeger) would come down with it,” Bink said. “I just threw (the ball) up and let him make a play on it.”

Stalboerger caught the pass. Touchdown Esky. Graham Johnson sank the PAT, and Esky led 28-21.

All the orange and black needed was four string defensive plays to keep the Vikings out of the endzone.

It was an exciting time for the Vikings. So exciting that they were flagged for a false start on their first offensive play, backed up to the 15.

Stevenson broke up a pass attempt in the endzone on first down. Cadillac misfired on a second down pass attempt, but mustered 12 yards on a quarterback scramble on third down.

All the Eskymos had to do was prevent Cadillac from getting three yards.

And on 4th-and-goal from the three yard line, the Vikings hurled a desperation pass to the endzone. The pass attempt, Cadillac’s last hope to prevent falling to 0-2 on the season, landed on the turf.

Incomplete. Eskymos win.

“This is one of the biggest wins we’ve had in a while,” Esky coach Bailey Lamb said. “I’m so proud of how they handled it.”

Keagan Braun racked up 51 yards rushing on 14 carries and added eight tackles on defense.. Bink added 57 yards rushing off 13 carries and earned three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Ison added 15 yards rushing off eight carries and a touchdown while leading Esky with 13 tackles. Owen Labonte added two interceptions and three tackles. Stevenson added five tackles.

Esky returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday for its home opener against Petoskey.