Columbia’s Colton Byrd scores the first touchdown of the game Friday night at Waterloo. For more photos from the game, click here. (John Spytek photo)

With a capacity crowd on hand at Waterloo High School, the Columbia Eagles fought back from deficits at halftime and in the final minutes to outlast the Bulldogs on Friday night, 31-25.

“The first half didn’t look too promising for us,” Columbia head coach Scott Horner said afterward. “They were pushing us around. I told my players (at halftime) they were getting their butt kicked and had to respond. I can’t be more proud of them. They just kept grinding.”

The victory turned out to be a true family affair, as Horner’s sons, quarterback Nic Horner and wide receiver/kicker Sam Horner played prominent roles Friday night.

A short touchdown run by Colton Byrd put the Eagles up briefly, 7-0, before Waterloo’s Jake O’Daniell scored on runs of 40 and 89 yards to put the ‘Dogs up 12-7 early in the second quarter.

That’s when the Horner Connection started to become a factor. Nic and Sam hooked up for a 50-yard TD to give the Eagles a 13-12 lead with 9:16 remaining in the first half.

“It was just a pass completion that needed to happen,” Coach Horner said. “Certainly it’s special, but it’s never about me or those guys, you know. It’s about the entire group of guys and they would tell you the same thing.”

Waterloo answered with a 24-yard TD catch by Jackson Ivers from quarterback Graham Baker, and the Bulldogs took an 18-13 lead into halftime.

A 42-yard field goal by Sam Horner cut the lead to 18-16 midway through the third quarter, and then Mitch Daniels caught a short pass from Nic Horner and scored from 30 yards out to put the Eagles ahead. Nic Horner then hit Jared Germain on a short pass for the two-point conversion, and Columbia led 24-18 at the end of the third quarter.

Waterloo put together another strong drive in this back-and-forth rivalry clash, ending with a 20-yard TD scamper by Dalton Viglasky. The extra point was good, putting the ‘Dogs up 25-24 with just under four minutes left in the game.

But Columbia went to the air again, with another long Horner-to-Horner hookup setting up an eight-yard Byrd TD run with 1:25 remaining to put the Eagles up 31-25.

Waterloo failed to move the ball much in a last-ditch effort to tie the game, and the Eagles emerged victorious.

This marked the third straight victory for Columbia in the series against Waterloo, which is now tied at 16-16 all-time.

Nic Horner finished with 10-for-18 passing and 193 yards with two TDs. Sam Horner caught four of those passes for 119 yards and a TD. Byrd finished with 96 yards and two TDs on 25 carries.

O’Daniell led the Bulldogs with 187 yards rushing on 17 carries. Viglasky added 89 yards rushing on 17 carries.

For more photos from the game, click here.