NORWICH – Norwich coach John Martinson told his players he would never forget Friday night’s game. It’s a good bet, his players will not soon forget it either.

Norwich matched Windsor’s overtime touchdown, but converted the game-winning extra-point kick to defeat the Black Knights, 29-28, Friday night at Norwich High School.

Norwich (1-0, 1-3) opened its season with three straight non-league losses, but is now perfect in division play, and one step closer to a postseason berth. “I said in the preseason, I don’t care if we’re 4-4. If you can win all four of your division games, you’re the champions,” Martinson said.

With the game tied at 22 entering overtime – the first NHS overtime contest in recent memory – neither club wasted much time punching the ball in for six points.

The Black Knights (0-4) won the coin flip, and used just five plays to score. Noah Sibley, a 218-pound senior fullback, had an eight-yard first-down run to the NHS eight, and two plays later, quarterback David Goetz scampered around the left end into the left corner of the endzone.

On the pivotal two-point conversion, Ryan Hayes was stopped short of the goal.

Norwich was even more efficient with its overtime possession. Paddy Law dashed 12 yards for a first down, then tacked on five more on the subsequent play. Tyler Hoffman gained one yard, then quarterback Seth Thomsen quick-snapped the ball and barged forward for the two-yard TD sneak.