A defensive battle, an offensive struggle, an ugly game. Call it what you want, but the ADM football team’s 6-3 loss in overtime Friday at Winterset was one thing for sure: heartbreaking.

A game that went scoreless through regulation came down to a goal-line stand, and Winterset won via the football equivalent to a walk-off hit on Colby Van Pelt’s 2-yard rushing touchdown on fourth-and-goal .

The Tigers (3-2, 1-2) got the ball first in overtime and had to settle for a 23-year Ethan Kaney field goal, meaning Winterset could win with a touchdown.

The Huskies (2-3, 1-2) got the ball down to the 1-yard line, setting up first-and-goal. ADM’s stout defense stopped Winterset’s power running plays out of the wishbone the first three times before Van Pelt was able to waltz in untouched.

Both offenses struggled to gain traction throughout the game. Winterset outgained the Tigers, 179-127, but needed 15 more plays to do so as both teams averaged fewer than three yards per play.

ADM’s defense kept the team in the game throughout, most notably when it engineered a goal-line stand in the second quarter. Defensive end Jacob Hardy lead the way with team-highs in tackles (9.5) and tackles for loss (3).

Senior quarterback Frank Weiland was 16-of-25 for 105 yards but threw two interceptions as the Tigers turned the ball over three times and were just 2-for-13 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. He was also victimized by several drops, none more so than in the second quarter when a streaking Ian LaFollette dropped a sure touchdown.

The Tigers now find themselves in a similar spot to a year ago, when they started district play 1-3 before rallying with three straight wins to make the playoffs. But with back-to-back home games looming, ADM can ill-afford to fall further behind in the district standings.

ADM on Friday will play host to Creston (3-2, 1-1), who was clobbered by the upstart Glenwood Rams last Friday, 56-35.