DeKALB – The DeKalb defense seemingly took control of the momentum Friday, but the Sandburg special teams wrestled it back.

The Eagles recovered their second onside kick midway through the third quarter, leading to a three-play, 40-yard scoring drive that put Sandburg ahead for good in a 41-34 win over the Barbs.

[ Photos: Sandburg at DeKalb ]

“When you’re down, you need possessions, and we had already done it once,” Sandburg head coach Troy McAllister said. “I just walked to coach [Kevin] Fahey, our special teams coordinator, and said run it again. We have to get another possession.”

The Barbs (1-2) led by as much as 12 in the first half and took an 18-13 lead at the break. Sandburg took the opening drive and marched it to the DeKalb 6.

But Davon Grant intercepted Anthony Shelton at the goal line and took it back for a touchdown and a 26-13 DeKalb lead.

The Eagles, after rushing for only 24 yards in the first half, went 53 yards on four plays, all rushes by Luke Basiroka, to cut the lead to 26-20. That’s when they attempted their second onside kick of the game, recovered it, then covered 60 yards in three plays. The drive started with a Shelton bomb to Charlie Snoreck – who not only had 12 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns – but recovered the second onside kick.

DeKalb coach Derek Schneeman said even had he put his hands team in to prevent the onside recovery, the ball was so well placed by Adrius Stankus he’s not sure it would have been recovered by the Barbs.

“Anytime you lose a possession like that, it’s just a big, momentum-shifting play,” Schneeman said. “Kids are dejected, and you’ve got to get them to pick their heads up and keep fighting. It was a heck of a kick. Even if we had our hands team, I don’t know if we still get it. Just the hop it took. That kid made a heck of a play.”

The Eagles held the Barbs scoreless on the next two drives while scoring touchdowns on their drives, both on passes from Shelton to Snoreck, to take a 41-26 lead with 7:04 left.

The DeKalb offense rediscovered its first-half form with Cole Latimer hitting Xavier Dandridge on a 17-yard fade with 4:39 left to cut the lead to 41-34.

The Barbs stopped the Eagles on the next drive on a fourth down, setting themselves up at their own 46. On second down, Talen Tate took a screen pass from Latimer and cut his way to the 20 before Jacob Schick stripped the ball, allowing Sandburg to secure the win.

“The thing I’m most proud of is we had the momentum, had a really nice first half, Davon gets his interception return for a touchdown, and then they score quickly twice,” Schneeman said. “We’re down two scores and I really like how we shifted the momentum back and gave us a chance to win at the end.”

Latimer, behind a strong first half, threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Tate ran for 113 and a score and caught five passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. In addition to the interception return, Grant had five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Shelton finished 22-of-28 passing for 325 yards and five touchdowns, plus ran for a sixth.

“That 96, 98-yard pick six hurt, but we marched down the field, caught them in a bad look. So we were able to get a couple quick touchdowns back,” McAllister said. “Then with their talent level, right when we think we have the game in check, some of their players make some plays.”

The offenses were clicking from the start with the first three possessions all ending in touchdowns. DeKalb turned a fourth-and-7 from the Sandburg 23 into a touchdown pass from Latimer to Tate and a 6-0 lead.

The Eagles answered back with an eight-play drive, capped by a 15-yard pass from Shelton to Ethan Highfill.

DeKalb retook the lead at 12-7 on the next drive when Latimer hit Grant on a 52-yard deep ball on third-and-8. The Barbs added six more to the lead early in the second, scoring on a run up the gut by Tate for 25 yards and an 18-7 lead.

Sandburg ended the first-half scoring with a 61-yard pass from Shelton to Highfill to cut the lead to 18-13 heading into the break.