Lutheran North tight end Nate Nazarko only caught one pass in Friday night’s Division 4 district championship game against visiting Croswell-Lexington.

But it was the biggest reception of the night.

Nazarko caught a pass from Mustang quarterback Cam Kubik in the middle of the end zone for a 2-point conversion in overtime that lifted Lutheran North to a thrilling 43-42 win over the Pioneers, clinching their second-straight district title.

“Nate is the kind of player that every team in the state would want on their team,” LHN coach Garrett Wenzelburger said. “He’s a three-year starter, captain and the emotional leader on this team. I’m glad we found him in the end zone after a long night of blocking and playing linebacker. He caught the pass and sealed the deal.”

The conversion was set up after Vincent Campisi scored on a 10-yard run on third down in OT.

The Mustangs, who ran the ball effectively all night, gambled by throwing the pass for the win.

“We were running the ball effectively, but we weren’t the offensive juggernaut in the second half like we were in the first half,” Wenzelburger said. “We felt like if we play actioned, we would have somebody open, and we found our tight end in the end zone leaking out.

“I could not be prouder of this group of players and coaches. This is just a testament to the hard work that these players and coaches have put in.”

That final score and conversion capped a game that almost got away from LHN, which held a 21-7 lead at halftime, before extending it to 27-7 early in the third quarter. However, Cros-Lex made a strong rally, eventually gaining a 35-27 lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs marched 70 yards in 10 plays with Kubik connecting with Jack May in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard score with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Vincent Campisi burst up the middle for the 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it to overtime.

“Cam made something out of nothing and found a great player in Jack May open in the end zone,” Wenzelburger said.

Cros Lex had the ball first in OT and on fourth down — and William Herman scored from 3-yards out. The PAT was good, and the Pioneers led 42-35, setting the stage for the Mustangs winning score and conversion.

Campisi had a huge game for LHN, rushing 29 times for 177 yards and five touchdowns. In the first half he scored on runs of 41, 3 and 23 yards, before opening the third quarter with a 7-yard scoring burst.

“He’s 5-7 and 145 pounds,” Wenzelburger said. “But you’re going to have a hard time finding someone who’s tougher and stronger than Vinnie. He just pounds the rock and is an incredible player and running back.

“We felt there were some things we had that we could do against them. We took advantage of those things early on. (Cros-Lex) shored that up a little bit in the second half and it’s a credit to their coaches and team. It was nice to jump out on them early.”

Down 27-7, Cros-Lex scored 28 unanswered points to take a 35-27 lead. John Herman started the rally with a 23-yard scoring run.

Pioneer quarterback Jaxon Johnston then connected with Cody Metevier for a 15-yard score, before William Herman intercepted a Mustang pass and returned it 79 yards for a score that put the Pioneers up 28-27. William Herman then added a 17-yard TD run that increased the lead to 35-27 with 3:00 left.

“(Cros-Lex) has some really good players that they brought up in the box,” Wenzelburger said. “They got an extra guy in certain spots and made it tough for us to score.”

Wenzelburger said he had confidence that his team would regroup and find a way to tie the game in the final three minutes.

“We’ve had a lot of close games the last two years,” Wenzelburger said. “The momentum definitely shifted in their way, but our guys are used to being in close games and continued doing what we do.”

Kubik battled through an early injury and finished the night completing 11-of-16 passes for 154 yards.

“Cam embodies toughness,” Wenzelburger said. “He was in the mix for the starting job this summer. He didn’t win it, but when his number was called, he’s gotten the job done for us this season. Not only did he play well, but he did so by fighting through an injury to his throwing arm. I’m so happy for him.”

The win improved LHN’s record to 10-1 overall and marks the first time the Mustangs have won 10 games in school history. They will move on and travel to next Friday’s regional championship game against Harper Woods, which defeated Dearborn Divine Child 40-21 in its district title game on Friday night. Wenzelburger said his Mustangs will be ready.

“We’re going to enjoy this one and we know we’re going on the road,” Wenzelburger said. “We’re going to prepare like we would every week. With the strength of our team being the offensive line, we are going to run the ball against anybody and throw the ball as well. We’re excited for another shot at that regional championship.”

Cros-Lex, which ended its season at 7-4 overall, was led by John Herman, who rushed for 149 yards on 34 carries, while William Herman added 30 yards on six rushes. Johnston completed 6-of-10 passes for 67 yards.