Five touchdown passes would be a season for some quarterbacks, and a career night for others. But Mark Pyles didn’t stop there, for Number Six was the most important one of all.

Because Number Six proved to be the game-winner.

On Friday night at Lebanon Alumni Stadium, the Lebanon High football team snapped an 11-game losing streak with an electrifying 40-39 win over Northern Lebanon. And the Cedars needed all six of Pyles’ career-high touchdown tosses to get the job done.

Down 39-32 in overtime, and faced with a fourth-down-and-17, do-or-die situation, Pyles found favorite target Nick Negron over the middle for the touchdown that put Lebanon in position to win. Then on the two-point conversion, Pyles rolled out to his right and hit Negron for the two-point conversion that gave the Cedars the win and sent their bench into bedlam.

To this point of Pyles’ career, winning has been an elusive element to the one player who means more to his team than any other in Lebanon County. But ask him about it and the 6-0, 210-pound senior signal-caller will tell you there is nothing more important to him.

Pyles, who, when faced with the option, seems to be deciding to throw more this season, has thrown nine TD tosses through two games this season, going a combined 32-56 for 462 yards. He’s also carried the football 40 times for 188 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Pyles is nearing a decision on where he will play football at the next level. Projected as a linebacker in college, Pyles is said to be considering 20 scholarship offers from Division One and Division One-AA universities across the East.

– BY JEFF FALK