Big Bear High School won a football game on Friday night.
That's the succinct way of explaining happened last week when Big Bear played Desert Hot Springs High School in football -- but as those in attendance know, this game was anything but succinct.
According to the Desert Sun, Big Bear and Desert Springs played a California state record eight overtimes before a team emerged victorious.
In a game in which the two teams accumulated 244 plays, 732 yards in total offense and 15 touchdowns between them, Big Bear ultimately outlasted -- which in this case, is probably the best term -- Desert Hot Springs 56-50.
California high school football follows an overtime structure similar to that of college football, meaning that in a given overtime period each team's offense is given the ball at the opponents 25-yard line. According to California Interscholastic Federation rules, "If a second overtime period is needed, a 2 point conversion must be attempted by the team scoring a touchdown." Thus, in order for this contest to stretch to three overtimes, the teams not only had to match each other touchdown for touchdown, but conversion for conversion.
While the teams did achieve a state record for longest game, which is no doubt impressive, they didn't sniff the national record for overtimes. That distinction goes to Nacogdoches high school and Jacksonville high school in Texas who last year went into 12 overtimes before Jacksonville came out on top 84-81. And yes, we're sure that's not a basketball score.