It would be easy to single out Uriah Aleshire’s giant run midway through fourth quarter as the turning point in William Chrisman’s 22-9 season-opening win over Oak Park, seeing that it set up the go-ahead touchdown.

In truth, the turning point came the sequence before, after the host Northmen converted a pair of third downs and threatened to go up two scores and leave North Kansas City District Stadium at Staley High School with the victory.

Oak Park, which went winless last season, had first down at the Chrisman 14 and a 9-6 lead. But the Bears’ defense stiffened and threw Northmen runners for losses on three consecutive plays, drew a holding penalty in the process, and ultimately forced a short punt from the 34.

“We work on that in practice, putting our kids in that type of situation. Our backs are against the wall; what are you going to do?” Chrisman first-year coach Matt Perry said.

The Bears took over on their 18 with 6:20 left, and Aleshire promptly found a hole on a jet sweep right and scurried 78 yards to the Oak Park 8.

Christian Felix powered in from the 3 a couple plays later, and Dawson Herl threw to Bryan Cox for the two-point conversion and a 14-9 lead with 5:06 remaining.

“I thought we were going to break it earlier,” Perry said of Aleshire’s run. “Uriah, he’s got some ability to break it. (Receiver) Tre’Vaughn Sisco and Bryan Cox and Christian Felix are good blockers on the outside, and we’d be one block away.”

Oak Park then fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, giving Chrisman the ball at the 27, and Felix scored again from 7 yards out and added the conversion run with 3:04 remaining.

Kelvyn Mason’s fourth-down interception iced the game for the Bears.

Chrisman linebacker Ethan Douglas, who made multiple stops behind the line, including a stripaway fumble recovery, agreed that the defensive stand in the fourth altered the momentum.

“We came together right there at the very end,” Douglas said. “Our offense was starting to tick, and we thought if we could hold ’em there, they would do something.

“Our big men in the middle, they don’t get enough credit,” he said, referring to 280-pounder Dean Downs and 350-pounder Lovelle Williamson. “They were holding things up in the middle, letting us little guys make the tackles.”

“They were running away from Daniel (Carson) all night,” Perry said, referring to Chrisman’s highly recruited defensive end, “and our defensive line’s only going to get stronger this year.”

Chrisman grabbed a 6-0 lead on its second possession, as Herl’s 3-yard toss to Cox capped a 58-yard drive.

The Bears threatened again in the second after Douglas’ takeaway, but Phil Corbin’s interception sparked the Northmen, who drove 78 yards for a tying touchdown aided of a couple crucial penalties against Chrisman. The points came on Blake Bland’s 4-yard pass to Gavin Hausmann.

Oak Park took the lead on Xander Hulsey’s 31-yard field goal with 4:31 left in the third, set up by Corbin’s second interception.

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