North Bend running back Cody Harden stumbles into the end zone with Phoenix linebacker Emmet Eli Hettum in tow during the homecoming game at North Bend High School Friday. World Photo by Alex Powers.

NORTH BEND — North Bend’s football team kept the home fans on the edge of their seats in a thrilling homecoming finish against Phoenix on Friday night.

After the Bulldogs missed a couple of chances to put the game away because of turnovers, they needed a final stop against the Pirates to preserve a 26-23 lead in the final minute.

Trae Collins made sure the North Bend crowd went home happy, smothering Phoenix running back Armando Ledesma a yard short of the first down on a fourth-and-two play with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game.

“I was really surprised they ran the ball,” Collins said after the game. “They had been throwing it down the field.”

But rather than have quarterback Christopher Kammel throw his 43rd pass of the night, the Pirates opted to try a run with Ledesma, who rushed for 87 yards during the game.

Collins, expecting a pass, tried to put on a big rush, then saw Ledesma take the handoff.

“I got off my guy and went to get him,” Collins said.

He wasn’t sure he made the tackle soon enough until he looked up.

“When I tackled him, I was facing our bench and I saw everyone was jumping and screaming,” Collins said.

The play secured the win after North Bend had twice fumbled in the final minutes when the Bulldogs could have clinched the victory.

“We like to make it too close,” said Jake Lucero, referring to Friday’s game and an earlier one-point win over Newport. “We really make it interesting.”

The game was one of contrasting styles — Phoenix’s passing attack against the Bulldogs’ strong ground game. The numbers came out as might have been expected.

North Bend quarterbacks Dalton Iveans and Tyler Goode completed just one pass between them — and threw two interceptions. But the Bulldogs rushed for 344 yards on 56 carries, led by Cameron Seiger’s 140 rushing yards.

Lucero, who had 69 rushing yards, gave credit to the line.

“They knew the play was coming every time and they still couldn’t stop it,” he said.

Mostly, the Bulldogs stopped themselves, with three fumbles along with the two interceptions, and 90 yards in penalties.

“We’ve got to get to where we’re executing more crisply,” he said.

The Bulldogs also need to improve their pass defense after Kammel completed 25 of his 42 attempts for 323 yards.

North Bend coach Rick Taylor said his staff hadn’t prepared the kids enough for that aerial assault.

“We tried to make some adjustments,” he said. “We need to reassess the way we handle it. The next time we see it, we’ll do a better job.”

The bottom line, though, was that the Bulldogs made the stop they needed and got the win.

“I think the kids played their hearts out,” Taylor said.

North Bend struck first when Iveans capped a 76-yard opening drive with a 1-yard score on a quarterback keeper.

Phoenix needed just 18 seconds to get the equalizer — a pass interference penalty and a 51-yard scoring strike from Kammel to Skyler Reagan.

North Bend went back in front late in the first quarter, when Seiger appeared stopped, then broke through the line for a 43-yard score.

Phoenix answered with a quick drive that included a 36-yard pass from Kammel to Reagan and a 19-yard pass to Ben Crichton. The Bulldogs kept the Pirates out of the end zone, though, and Phoenix lined up a 27-yard field goal attempt even though neither team had made a kick all evening. Alex Machado put the ball through the uprights to cut the lead to 12-9.

Seiger returned the kickoff all the way to the end zone, but a holding penalty nullified the score and the Bulldogs had to punt. North Bend’s defense forced Phoenix to punt as well, but the Bulldogs muffed the kick and Dom Ralls recovered for the Pirates. Kammel hit Joseph Backen on a slant pattern a few moments later to put Phoenix in front.

The teams traded fumbles — John Davis stole the ball away from Goode, but then Toby Ridenour sacked Kammel and forced a fumble that the Bulldogs snared. Seiger gained 25 yards and then Cody Harden scored from 15 out to give the Bulldogs a 20-18 halftime edge.

Lucero added another score late in the third quarter when he got through a group of Phoenix defenders at the line and bulled into the end zone from 13 yards out.

“I kept pumping my feet and they kept trying to arm tackle me,” he said of the score.

North Bend was ready to put the game away early in the fourth when Iveans intercepted a pass and the Bulldogs got to the 1-yard line. But Phoenix stopped one play and Iveans and Lucero muffed a handoff on the next. Seiger fell on the ball, but the Bulldogs were assessed a 15-yard personal foul penalty and Jeff Jorden Walker intercepted a pass on the next play.

The teams traded possessions and Phoenix took over on its own 20 with just 2:22 to go.

Kammel completed four of his first five passes on the drive, including a 29-yard sideline grab by Reagan, and Backen scored from a yard out with 1:16 to go.

North Bend tried to run out the clock, but fumbled again and Phoenix recovered.

The Pirates moved to the North Bend 36. On first down, Kammel sprinted around the right end for 8 yards. He then threw high of a receiver, and threw a swing pass to Ledesma that North Bend held to no gain. That set up the final run, and Collins was in the right place to save the game for the Bulldogs.

“That was a blast,” he said.

The Bulldogs visit Sweet Home next Friday, their first road game of the season.

Note: During halftime ceremonies, Kelly Coolen and Troy MacVicar were crowned homecoming queen and king.