MOON TWP. — As the final horn sounded Friday night at Moon Stadium, fans came streaming onto the field as Mars quickly found the nearest exit.

In a game decided in the last minute, Moon captured its first victory in two years and shocked the Planets with a 21-14 win.

Moon dictated the pace from the outset with a Wildcat package, but costly turnovers had the game tied at 14 when the Tigers got the ball at their own 33 with 3:37 remaining.

The drive was dominated by senior halfback Mark Piccolo cutting and slashing his way through the Planets' defense.

With 30 seconds left, Piccolo jammed in the winning touchdown from 7 yards out, capping the 67-yard drive.

"Obviously, we gotta get ready for Blackhawk next week, but we're going to enjoy this win tonight and tomorrow," Moon coach Jon Miller said. "A great win, and I'm real excited for the community and for the kids, and I don't think these people have enjoyed something like this in a long, long time."

Mars struggled to stop the Tigers' rushing attacked as it allowed 254 yards. Most of that yardage was amassed by Piccolo, who ran 31 times for 200 yards.

Moon, which entered the contest on an 18-game losing streak, moved the ball inside the red zone six times, but three turnovers cost the Tigers scoring opportunities.

But the biggest catalyst to the victory might have been the defensive shutdown on Mars standout running back Austin Miele. The senior has surpassed 1,000 rushing in the past two seasons, but Moon held him to 81 yards on 19 carries.

The Planets were plagued by missed tackles and turnovers that stalled many drives.

Mars coach Scott Heinauer said the team has to take a look at the tape to see what all went wrong.

"When you make mistakes, that's what happens. You don't come out on top," Heinauer said. "We missed a lot of tackles here, and you can't miss tackles. You gotta win the football game — that's the most important thing."

Along with the loss, Mars might be without running back Josh Pinkerton after he suffered an injury early in the second half. He had trouble getting up after a tackle along the sideline, but managed to get to his feet before being carted off.

The Moon fans made it difficult for the Planets to hear all night, as a packed home side of the stadium kept the intensity high even after falling behind 14-6 in the second quarter.

But on the Tigers' first possession of the second half, Piccolo took control and helped lead his team down the field for the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion.

Moon was on the 1-yard line midway through the fourth when Mars recovered a fumble giving them new life. The Planets managed only two first downs before punting to the Tigers.

While Mars hopes to put this loss behind it with section play still a few weeks away, the Tigers secured a big confidence boost with the victory.

"Our aspirations are to make the playoffs and make a run in our conference," Miller said. "The high school kids rushing the field, it's a great atmosphere out there and I'm really proud of everyone."