PARIS — As his teammates on the Cony football team ran to the end zone to celebrate a blockbuster win, Diesel Cox sank to the Gouin Athletic Complex turf.

His face bright-red and drenched in sweat, the Rams lineman had a look of exhilaration and exhaustion. This victory took everything Cony had, and after letting a 21-point lead evaporate and surviving a rash of injuries in a rugged battle, getting here meant everything.

Cony survived a fierce challenge from Oxford Hills to earn a 39-34 victory in a Class A-Class B crossover game. The Rams trailed late after leading 21-0 in the first half but scored the go-ahead touchdown with 5:49 to go.

“When you’re losing guys to cramps and concussions and all sorts of things, just having the resiliency to hang in there (means a lot),” said Cony coach B.L. Lippert. “It takes everyone on the roster to win games like this, and we had some guys that aren’t used to playing come through for us.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

Cony (4-0) dominated the first half, mounting touchdown drives of 87 and 90 yards to take a 14-0 lead before Parker Morin added his third touchdown pass of the half. Oxford Hills scored after recovering a fumble at the Cony 3 to make it 21-7.

Oxford Hills (2-2) regrouped after halftime and began scoring every time it touched the ball. The Vikings tied the game at 27 midway through the third quarter following a fumble recovery at midfield and took its first lead at 34-33 when Cam Roy scored on a 17-yard run with 9:33 to play.

A 10-yard touchdown run by Morin with under just six minutes to go put Cony back on top. Oxford Hills mounted one last drive that included a successful conversion on fourth-and-20 but ultimately ran out of time, as a pass to the end zone fell incomplete.

“If Parker Morin isn’t the best athlete in Maine, he’s certainly the second-best, and when he mistimed his leap, I thought we could be in trouble for a second,” Lippert said of the final Oxford Hills play. “We were trying to get two safeties out there and couldn’t quite do it, but when it hit the ground, it was euphoria.”

CRAMPS, CONCUSSIONS AND MORE

With the temperature, perhaps unexpectedly, sneaking into the mid-70s, dehydrated players on both teams were cramping up. Both sidelines were loaded with players stretching and hydrating in attempts to return to the field.

Cony also lost key players to other injuries. Starting running back Anderson Noyes and No. 2 receiver Benjamin Hanke left with concussions. Then, third-string running back Kolton Colby was called into action after the Rams’ No. 2 back, Anderson St. Onge, rolled his ankle.

Colby, a sophomore, played a key role in the win. He had five rushes of 5 yards or more, three rushes for first downs, and hauled in a 10-yard pass on fourth-and-4 that kept the Rams’ winning drive alive.

“We had key guys going down all day, and we just had to keep pushing, no matter how much it hurts,” Colby said. “We were all pushing each other, and that’s what it came down to.”

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“We knew it was going to be hot, and we hadn’t really played four quarters yet with the starters because we’d been taking them out in the second half. I knew we were going to be tired in the fourth quarter — we actually got tired in the third quarter — but the guys just kept pushing.” — B.L. Lippert

“We just shot ourselves in the foot so much in the first half with bad snaps and penalties. It’s tough to run the ball when it’s second-and-15 or third-and-19 all the time. Our guys were pretty bummed that they started out that badly, but they fired themselves up and won the second half.” — Oxford Hills coach Nate Danforth

“My guys up front were blocking for me, and my guys were just getting open. I know that if I put the ball in a spot that they’re going to go get it, and they just do.” — Parker Morin

STAT LEADERS

• Cony: Parker Morin (16 of 28, 253 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT; four carries, 19 yards, 2 TDs), Benjamin Hanke (six receptions, 98 yards), Kolton Colby (12 carries, 48 yards)

• Oxford Hills: Cam Pulkkinen (eight carries, 83 yards, 2 TDs; 77-yard kickoff-return TD), Carter Davis (four carries, 43 yards)

UP NEXT

Cony: vs. Fryeburg Academy (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday

Oxford Hills: vs. Bonny Eagle (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday