For the sixth week in a row, Kentlake found a way to finish, this time with a 17-16 win over Kentwood — the first time the Falcons have beaten the Conquerors since 2003.

Unlike previous victories this season, Kentlake didn’t have a bevy of big plays, but instead held off a tough Kentwood team looking to win its fourth straight.

“We make it tough on ourselves sometimes, but, we finished the game” said Falcons Head Coach Chris Paulson, surrounded by Kentlake students celebrating on the field.

Kentlake’s first drive ended inside the 10 when Steffin Church threw an interception.

Kentwood’s first drive didn’t get into Kentlake territory.

The first quarter ended scoreless.

A pass from Church to Darryl Parker at the end of the first quarter moved Kentlake from midfield to the Kentwood 36.

Just six seconds into the second quarter, the Falcons got on the board first as Trevor Baldwin hauled into a strike from Church, running it in for the touchdown.

But Kentwood answered when Jesse Lovato ran the kickoff back 80 yards for the score, tying it up 7-7.

Two touchdowns, 18 seconds.

It got wilder in the second quarter.

At the 4:35 mark Kentlake tacked on a field goal to make it 10-7.

The next drive for both the Conks and the Falcons were stymied.

When Kentlake was forced to punt with 1:20 left, Kentwood blocked the kick, causing the ball to skitter into the end zone which turned into a safety for the Conks, making it 10-9.

And that was where the score stood at halftime.

A week ago against Tahoma, Kentlake had to make defensive adjustments to stop a fierce Bears running game, this week they had different adjustments to make.

“We got some special teams cleared up,” Paulson said. “We gave up nine points on special teams. We leaned hard on our guys we could lean on.”

Finishing the game became big when Kentwood took a 16-10 lead when Ryan Dozier ran it up the middle from the eight for a touchdown with 8:45 left in the third.

In the fourth quarter Church took the team on his shoulders, carrying the ball repeatedly both on option plays and when his receivers were covered.

“He made good decisions,” Paulson said of his junior quarterback. “Just a gutsy performance.”

Church led a drive that ended up being the decisive one.

He picked up a first down then handed off to Tanner Lucas, who took it to the eight.

Austin Pernell punched it in on an 8-yard-run, lowering his shoulder and powering through Kentwood tacklers into the end zone.

That put Kentlake up for good with 7:13 left, 17-16.

From there, it was all about defense.

Kentlake held Kentwood on the ensuing drive but the ball bounced off Nu’u Vaifale on the punt and a Kentwood defender fell on it.

The Falcons held the Conks again, stifling the ground game, with Ryan Archibald getting his second key play in the game — he picked off Dane Manio earlier in the quarter — on a tackle that stopped the Kentwood runner well short of the first down marker.

Kentlake took the ball back with less than four minutes left on the clock and stuck to running the ball, winding out the clock.

Kentwood Head Coach Rex Norris said he expects his team, now 3-2 in league and 4-2 overall, to bounce back as it prepares to face Kent-Meridian on Oct. 14 at French Field.

“We just keep doing what we do,” Norris said. “We lost to Thomas Jefferson and we cam back from that. I’m really proud of our kids. They battled tonight.”

Kentlake, meanwhile, is 6-0 and hangs onto first place in the South Puget Sound League North as it savors a big win over rival Kentwood, only the second time it’s done it in school history.

“It’s just one more step,” Paulson said. “We talk about getting better every single week. That was a big thing to overcome. Let’s see if we can keep it going.”

Kentlake hosts Auburn at 7 p.m on Thursday at French Field.