Jack Applegate gave Orange a 28-21 lead with a one-yard TD run on the first possession of overtime, but visiting Worthington Kilbourne answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion to slip away with a 29-28 season-opening win Friday in Lewis Center.

The Wolves’ Nick Hill answered the Pioneers’ score with a five-yard TD run, his fourth of the night, then powered into the end zone on the two-point attempt to seal the deal.

The back-and-fourth ending continued a theme set by the rest of the contest. Kilbourne scored the game’s first points on a one-yard Hill run with 4:38 left in the first quarter, but Orange answered when quarterback J.D. Dayhuff connected with Sam Almond for a 47-yard touchdown pass just over three minutes later.

Hill scored again, again on a one-yard run, to give the Wolves a lead midway through the second, but the Pioneers again had an answer, this time in the form of a five-yard TD strike from Dayhuff to Zach Harrison just before the break.

Bobby Eleyet scored on a nine-yard run to give Orange its first lead of the contest, 21-14 at the 5:14 mark of the third quarter, but Kilbourne made good on its first chance to counter. Hill scored his third TD of the game, this time from 13 yards out to make it 21-21 with 5:14 left in regulation.

Orange outgained Kilbourne 369-245 despite running 61 fewer plays. The Pioneers took care of the ball, finishing without a turnover … they just couldn’t keep Hill out of the end zone.

Hill finished with 65 yards on 16 carries. He scored all four touchdowns and the game-deciding two-point conversion.

Dayhuff led the Pioneer attack, completing 15 of his 20 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Almond was his top target, finishing with four grabs covering 71 yards.

Garrett Runyon was Orange’s top rusher, finishing with 69 yards despite carrying the ball just once, and Bryce Houston led the Pioneer defense with 12 tackles.