By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

SMITH CENTER -- In the final minute Friday night, the Smith Center fans started the tomahawk chant. As the clock wound down to zeroes, Smith Center senior quarterback Shawn Stansbury turned and ran to bear-hug a teammate. Defensive coordinator Brock Hutchinson flashed a thumbs up as the Redmen players celebrated on the field.

The scene punctuated a 20-14 victory against Mid-Continent League rival Norton at Hubbard Stadium, a win that stretched the nation's longest winning streak to 70 games.

Norton, though, played with Smith Center all night, continually used great special teams to set up terrific field position and had several chances to take the lead. Norton drove for the go-ahead score in the final minutes, but senior quarterback Connor Pfannenstiel fumbled inside Smith Center territory.

In addition, the Redmen lost junior halfback Dereck McNary to a knee injury and senior halfback Colt Rogers, a 2008 Hays Daily News Super 11 pick, suffered through cramps.

"We just kept pushing," Redmen senior fullback-defensive end Matt Atwood said. "We hung in there. We didn't give up."

Last season, Norton lost to Smith Center, 22-20, the closest game in the Redmen's winning streak. This year's contest marked the third time in four years Norton has played Smith Center, 3-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 2-1A, within 11 points. Friday's outcome tied for the third-closest game in Smith Center's run.

"It's a good rivalry," Smith Center coach Roger Barta said. "I think our kids respect each other and I think they play hard. There at the end, both teams were tired and they both gave everything they had."

Norton, without junior running Terrell Lane -- also a 2008 HDN Super 11 selection -- last week, had its full team as Lane returned from an ankle injury. Lane labeled his health at "maybe 60 percent," and rushed 18 times for 10 yards and played on defense.

"The biggest game of our season. They didn't think I would play, but I said I was going to play," he said.

Norton has returns of 75, 59 and 48 yards off punts and kickoffs to set up short fields. The Bluejays started four drives inside Smith Center territory, including one at the Redmen 17. None of the drives resulted in points.

"We had our chance to win the game this year, probably even more than last year," Norton coach Lucas Melvin said.

In addition, Norton, ranked in the top 10 in Class 3A in the statewide media poll, mounted a 79-yard drive before halftime. Senior Zane Perez was stopped inside the 1-yard line on fourth down.

"This is one of the best teams in the state, and if you can play with one of the best teams in the state within 30 points, you are considered a good team," Lane said. "To lose by six makes us a great team. We had chances to score. We should have won that game. We were on the 1-yard line. The score should be 21-20. But we didn't score. We didn't capitalize."

Norton took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter off great field position when the Bluejays took over at the Smith Center 38. Eleven plays later, Norton scored on a 9-yard run by Perez, the Bluejays' leader with 83 yards on 14 carries. Late in the first quarter, McNary, Smith Center's leading rusher through Week 2 (243 yards), went down with an apparent knee injury.

"He is going to the hospital (Friday night), so I don't know what it is," Barta said.

Smith Center scored on back-to-back possessions and took a 14-7 with 2:48 left in the first half. Rogers, who gained 1,740 yards last season, rushed for a team-high 127 yards on Friday. Many of his yards came down the left sideline. On the first TD drive, he had carries of 26 and 21 yards down the left side to set up a 4-yard TD run from Atwood.

"(Senior) Dillon Corbett, I think, is a real good tight end, and I think he blocks real well," Barta said. "And, of course, our lead backs block real well, we think, that would be (Aaron and Dereck) McNary and then the tackle, (junior Josh) Nixon, blocks pretty well. They all do their job."

Norton had a 75-yard kickoff return to the Redmen 17, but Pfannenstiel threw an interception to Stansbury.

"There is no reason why we shouldn't have scored," Lane said. "Their defense turned it up and our offense just didn't know what to do. We were right here."

Then, Rogers had 15- and 40-yard runs down the left side. That set up a 14-yard TD run from Rogers for 14-7 lead. Norton took the final possession of the first half down to the 1-yard line. Perez was stopped on a trap play on fourth down.

"Missed opportunities was the difference in the game," Melvin said.

Norton tied the score at 14 on the first possession of the second half on a 1-yard run from Pfannenstiel. Smith Center took a 20-14 lead on the following play from scrimmage when Atwood ran a perfect ball fake.

"You got to dip your shoulder to play side," Atwood said. "Back side can't see the ball."

Junior Aaron McNary, Dereck's twin brother, popped out to the right side and raced 74 yards for a TD. McNary finished with 110 yards on five carries. The extra point was blocked.

On the kickoff, Norton received a 59-yard return from Perez to the Smith Center 31, but turned the ball over on downs. Smith Center was forced to punt and Norton senior Landon Hamel raced 51 yards to the Redmen 42.

"They exposed our weaknesses tonight, and it gives us something to work on, and hopefully we get better with those things we don't do too well," Barta said.

"They wedge and both of their deep backs are really fast and they are quick and they are tough. They are just good athletes."

Hamel went down the right sideline and hurdled over Smith Center junior kicker Timur Schubart near midfield.

"I like to jump over people," Lane said. "He told me, 'I never think about jumping over anybody, and I was just like, it's going to come, you just have to do it. He capitalized, we just didn't score for him."

Norton was forced to punt again. The Bluejays received one more opportunity and drove to the Smith Center 38 when Pfannenstiel fumbled on a rush up the middle. Corbett recovered with 3:42 remaining and the Redmen ran out the clock to seal the win.

After the on-field celebration, Atwood accepted congratulations from Perez near the locker room. As the fans and players left, a new number glowed from Christmas lights from Jones Machinery north of Hubbard Stadium: 70.

"It's a huge win for us," Atwood said. "It was big."