Big runners saw Belmont Shore through.

In what was a thriller from start to finish, Belmont Shore defeated Layton Christian Academy in the 1st round of the Boys HS National National Championships in overtime.

LCA came into the game having lost all three of their previous HS Nationals games by a total of five points. This time, regular ended with the deficit at zero.

The game was highly-anticipated and drew a large and supportive crowd. Shore scored first but on that scoring play the referee was injured. Play stopped for several minutes as a new referee was found, and the ref schedule adjusted for the day. In the end, both refs ran an entertaining, clean game and both teams were forced to put in their best.

Belmont Shore, with key players such as Josiah Apisala, Zechariah Misa, and Max Amasio showcasing their skills. Amasio's outstanding elusiveness played a critical role in igniting Shore's attack, while Apisala and Misa also scored in regulation.

LCA got tries from Emili Pauni, Alipate Teputepu, and two from Justin Sau, who also added two conversions.

The teams traded momentum and scores. The game's highlight came from a spectacular play when Lenny Ibarra's high kick was expertly fielded by Elija Lolesio-Pua, setting the stage for Apisala's remarkable second try that gave Belmont Shore a late lead.

However, LCA responded and tied it up 24-24 at full time. Well, the games at the HS Nationals are 60 minutes for a reason; you now have 10 minutes for overtime (two five-minute periods).

As the first half of overtime came to an end, Belmont Shore's relentless attack, and a yellow cards for LCA, led to vice captain and lock Rocco Burdett going over. Ibarra notched his third conversions and it was 31-24.

Shore did superbly to close it out from there.

Throughout the game, Burdett praised LCA's coordination, emphasizing their strong offloading and high level of teamwork. Amasio detailed the strategic shift for the team during crucial moments, revealing a decision to put more emphasis on the forwards' powerful play. "The game plan at the end of overtime was to starve them of the ball. We told the backs to let the forwards do the work," he said.

The win set the stage for Belmont Shore to transition to the next game the very next day, locking horns with The Woodlands on Friday in the HS Club semifinals.