An old-fashioned Warren County football rivalry made a memorable return Thursday night at Belvidere's Domenick Colangelo Stadium.

The County Seaters edged Hackettstown 23-20 on a 32-yard Pedro Isaque Dos Santos field goal with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter in the independent season opener for both teams.

An impressive crowd saw the Tigers rally from a 20-6 halftime deficit paced the arm and legs of sophomore quarterback Carter Bujno, whose deep passes hurt the Seater secondary and who scored the tying touchdown on a 7-yard run with 8:03 left in the final period.

But Belvidere, with junior Elijah White at the helm of a wildcat offense, drove 54 yards in 17 plays, eating up 7:32 of the clock, to set up the winning kick.

Turning point: On the Seaters' final drive, back-to-back illegal procedure calls put the Seaters in first and 20 from their own 33. White dropped back flung the ball towards junior receiver Kayden Thorpe, who came back to the ball and made a terrific catch along the sideline at the Tiger 43 to keep the march alive.

Top performers: For the Seaters, White was everywhere on offense and defense. Belvidere coach Jordon Schreffler praised his entire offensive line.

Bujno, at 5-foot-6 and listed at 160 pounds, might have been the smallest player on the field but nobody played bigger. Senior wide receiver Myles Hatten came up with some clutch catches.

What it means: Bragging rights, and more than few Hot Dog Johnny doggies won on friendky wagers, for Belvidere, plus the confidence gained from a thrilling victory. Hackettstown can relish a strong comeback and some fine individual performances.