WATERLOO – DeKalb’s breakout run through the Northeast 8 in coach Ryan Robertson’s first season culminated Friday in the program’s biggest win perhaps since a 2007 victory over Wayne that propelled the Barons to their most recent sectional title game appearance.

Receiver Noah Spears hauled in nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Eli McCormick threw three TD passes and sophomore Ryker Ball booted a 27-yard field goal with nine seconds left to send the Barons to a 31-28 victory over Class 4A No. 6 Leo at Cecil E. Young Field.

The triumph sent DeKalb (7-2, 6-1 NE8) to a second-place finish in the conference and just its fourth seven-win season since 2002. It also marked the first time the Barons had beaten the Lions (7-2, 5-2) in 13 tries since the NE8 was formed in 2015.

“It’s uncharted territory for DeKalb football,” said Robertson, a longtime East Noble assistant coach. “Hopefully it just jumps and gets people more excited about being out there.”

Robertson admitted that DeKalb’s recent history did not fill him with optimism when he first accepted the job. He quickly realized, however, there was talent in the program waiting to be unlocked.

”When I took the job, I asked my wife and we sat down and looked at the schedule and I said, ‘Find five wins,’ he said. “But then when I got in the room with the seniors and I saw the bodies that we had and the kids that we had, I’m like, ‘They could actually do something.’ The kids were here.”

He is hopeful that the success of his first season will lead to a groundswell of enthusiasm for the program.

”When I first got here, football wasn’t cool,” the coach said. “People didn’t want to play. I never had to beg so many people to paly football before. Now you’re going to have people begging to put a helmet on.”

Friday’s clash was tied at 28 with 3:22 left after McCormick found Spears along the sideline and the wideout broke a tackle and scampered 26 yards for a tying score.

Leo got the ball with a chance to drive for the win, but the Lions took a delay of game because of the noise of the DeKalb crowd. Then on the first snap of the drive, quarterback Titus Stoller threw deep only to be intercepted by junior safety Drake Hall playing center field.

The pick was one of two in the game for Hall, who also grabbed a deflected pass at the goal line to turn away a Leo scoring opportunity on the first drive of the game.

“He’s the best safety in the conference, hands down, and he’s probably the best safety in the Fort Wayne area,” Robertson said of Hall. “He’s smarter than me. He’s coming in at halftime changing things, I’m like, ‘Drake, OK, if that’s what you want to do, let’s do it.’ ”

Gifted the ball with 3:07 left after their own 36, DeKalb moved deep into Leo territory with four consecutive carries for senior Brady Culler for a total of 39 yards. On fourth-and-1 at the Lions’ 15 with 51 seconds left, McCormick went out wide and backup QB Xavier Vice took a direct snap and barreled ahead for a first down by inches.

Leo protested that he had been short, but the call stood.

“I saw him cross the marker, and I knew it was a first down,” McCormick said.

A couple of tackles for loss moved DeKalb back, but a facemask penalty got the Barons the yardage back and set up Ball’s winning kick.

“We came to practice every day with the mentality that we were going to go out here and beat this team,” McCormick said. “We went to practice and we got it done.”

Leo freshman running back Aaron Perlich ran for 123 yards and another freshman, linebacker Sam Miller, had 16 tackles and an interception for the Lions. Star tailback Nathan Foster did not play.

DeKalb led 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 before Leo tied it at 21 on a 7-yard toss from Stoller to tight end Kaden Doll and went in front after a Tanner Mickelson interception for the Lions set up a 6-yard TD run from Stoller with 5:22 left.

The Barons will begin the chase for their first sectional championship since 1995 next Friday against Columbia City. Leo will face Bishop Dwenger. The Lions and Barons would then meet again if both win.

“Nothing’s guaranteed anymore,” Robertson said. “Just pin your ears back and … just go out and play.”