In the Battle of the Cats, the Payson football team showed a little more claw when it mattered -- in the fourth quarter.

The Lions outscored the home-standing Orem Tigers 13-0 in the final stanza to post a 20-13 victory and give head coach Jeremy Chapman his first career win at the helm.

"It's a huge relief to get that first win," Chapman said. "It really excites me to get going next week."

Payson might look back at two key stretches in the game as the defining moments.

Payson's offense struggled for much of the first half, but after being pinned down late with just four minutes left in the second quarter and trailing 13-0, the Lions put together a 14-play, 92-yard drive. After Colton Cannon's 37-yard strike to Cris Robbins set things up, the drive culminated with a three-yard Jeremiah Guzman touchdown pass from Cannon to get Payson on the board.

The other defining moment for the Lions came midway through the third quarter when they were penalized 30 yards for roughing the kicker and unsportsmanlike conduct. It was a strange set of circumstances which might have buried Payson's hope for victory.

When the snap sailed over the head of Tiger punter Keenan Karrati, who retrieved it and scrambled to kick the ball. While doing so, he fell down and the ball came loose. He recovered it and kicked it as he was hit by three Payson rushers. Chapman went livid on the sidelines, arguing that Karrati should have been ruled down on the play and disputing that his players roughed the kicker.

Orem retained possession, but the Lion defense stiffened and Josh Ross sacked Orem quarterback Brayden Hill to end the Tiger scoring chance.

After that, the Lion offense -- led by Cannon -- went into high gear. The Lions tied the score when Cannon found Robbins on a 34-yard strike early in the fourth quarter. The extra point sailed wide, knotting the game up at 13-13.

After holding the Tigers, Payson rode the momentum into the lead, scoring once more as Cannon rambled in from six yards out to take the lead.

The Tigers put up one last fight driving into Lion territory, only to be thwarted by Ross's second sack of the half.

For Orem, it was the Tigers' second disappointing loss to a Region 8 team in as many weeks. The Tigers will look back at the first half regretfully as they squandered several scoring opportunities early in the game, including having a touchdown called back on their first offensive play of the game, throwing an interception deep in Lion territory and missing a long field goal. Orem started in Lion territory three different times in the first quarter but managed only one score, a six-yard plunge by Alan Williams.

The Tigers second score came in the second quarter when quarterback Brayden Hill broke containment and scored on a 39-yard run to put Orem up 13-0.

But even after falling behind, Payson refused to give up.

"Our kids showed a lot of heart," Chapman said. "There is no quit in these kids. It's been their nature since I've known them."

Payson (1-1) will travel to Westlake (1-1) while Orem (0-2) visits Spanish Fork (1-1). Both games slated to begin at 7 p.m.

Payson 0 7 0 13 -- 20

Orem 7 6 0 0 -- 13

OR-Josh Smith 6 run (Clint Farley kick)

OR-Brayden Hill 39 run (kick failed)

PA-Jeremiah Guzman 3 pass from Colton Cannon (Brayden Walker kick)

PA-Cris Robbins 34 pass from Cannon (kick failed)

PA-Cannon 6 run (Walker kick)