Norco's Kalani Kaleiwahea scored a two-point conversion in overtime to end the highest-scoring game in Southern Section history, giving the Cougars a 77-76 win over Murrieta Valley on Friday.
Murrieta Valley joins a growing list of teams that have scored over 70 points in a game but were unable to get the win. There are no known instances of a team scoring over 74 points in a loss in high school football history prior to 2010. However, the number has grown to 29 in the past 12 seasons with the inclusion of Murrieta Valley.
MaxPreps presents a list of 25 teams that have the highest scoring total in a loss.
DuBois (Pa.) holds the record for most points scored in a losing cause when it racked up 90 points in 2015 against Meadville only to see the Bulldogs score 107 points.
Meadville also is on the list with one of the highest losing scores. In fact, the Bulldogs are one of three teams to appear on the list twice, once as the winner and once as the loser. Meadville lost to Warren in 2014 by a score of 79-78.
Jordan (Sandy, Utah) had the winning score in a 91-83 win over Taylorsville in 2016. The 83 points ranks as the third-highest losing score. Jordan also lost 78-76 to Brighton in 2014.
Miller (Corpus Christi, Texas) makes the list twice in games that were played just two weeks apart. On Oct. 23, 2020, Miller lost to Calhoun (Port Lavaca, Texas), 77-76. On Nov. 6, Miller turned things around and defeated Jones (Beeville, Texas), 86-76.

Dubois quarterback Matt Miller, seen in a 2017 game, threw for 787 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first high school varsity game, a 107-90 loss to Meadville. (Photo: Eric Elliott)
Highest scoring efforts in a loss
1. DuBois (Pa.) — 90Winning Score: Meadville (Pa.) 107 |
Box ScoreYear: 2015
Highlight: Journey Brown rushes for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns for Meadville. Matt Miller throws for 787 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first high school varsity game.
2. DeSoto Central (Southaven, Miss.) — 86Winning Score: Olive Branch (Miss.) 87 |
Box ScoreYear: 2015
Highlight: Alan Lamar rushes for 421 yards and nine touchdowns for DeSoto Central. Brady Burse throws for 354 yards and eight touchdowns for Olive Branch.
3. Taylorsville (Utah) — 83Winning Score: Jordan (Sandy, Utah) 91 |
Box ScoreYear: 2016
Highlight: Crew Wakely threw for 491 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 247 yards and four scores for Jordan. Dane Leituala threw for 495 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns for Taylorsville.
4. Lowell (Mass.) — 82Winning Score: Andover (Mass.) 88 |
Box ScoreYear: 2010
Highlight: Andy Coke rushed for eight touchdowns and seven two-point conversion for Andover. Kyle Edwards through for six touchdowns for Lowell. The game lasted eight overtimes.
4. Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee) — 82Winning Score: Oconomowoc (Wis.) 84
Year: 2013
Highlight: Canton Larson scored eight touchdowns for Oconomowoc while Logan McShane accounted for six touchdowns for Lutheran.
6. Nacogdoches (Texas) — 81Winning Score: Jacksonville (Texas) 84
Year: 2010
Highlight: The game took a national record 12 overtimes to complete. The score was 28-28 at the end of regulation.
6. Sioux City North (Sioux City, Iowa) — 81Winning Score: Jefferson (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 99 |
Box ScoreYear: 2018
Highlight: Cameron Baker scored eight touchdowns and rushed for 371 yards for Jefferson. Matt Hagan threw for 309 yards and eight touchdowns for Sioux City North.
8. New Site (Miss.) — 80Winning Score: Columbia Academy (Columbia, Miss.) 82
Year: 2012
Highlight: Game went seven overtimes.
8. St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis, Miss.) — 80Winning Score: Poplarville (Miss.) 82 |
Box ScoreYear: 2012
Highlight: Jiquan James ran for 401 yards and five touchdowns for Poplarville and Tyler Allen threw for 443 yards and seven touchdowns for St. Stanislaus.
8. Peoria Notre Dame (Peoria, Ill.) — 80Winning Score: Peoria (Ill.) 82 |
Box ScoreYear: 2017
Highlight: Peoria rallied from a 34-point deficit to force overtime and win in the extra period.
8. Harrells Christian Academy (Harrells, N.C.) — 80Winning Score: Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.) 104 |
Box ScoreYear: 2012
Highlight: Will Grier set a national record with 837 yards passing and 10 touchdowns. Russell Washington rushed for 438 yards and seven touchdowns for Harrells.
12. Tulare Union (Tulare, Calif.) — 79Winning Score: Porterville (Calif.) 86 |
Box ScoreYear: 2012
Highlight: Oscar Reyes of Tulare threw for 446 yards and seven touchdowns while Dennis Chester led Porterville with 478 yards and five touchdowns.
12. Western Albemarle (Crozet, Va.) — 79Winning Score: Staunton River (Moneta, Va.) 85
Year: 2015
Highlight: Sam Hearn threw five touchdowns and rushed for four scores for Western Albemarle while Grayson Overstreet had five touchdowns for Staunton River.
14. Decatur Central (Indianapolis) — 78Winning Score: Perry Meridian (Indianapolis) 83 |
Box ScoreYear: 2013
Highlight: Conner Smith threw for 490 yards and six touchdowns for Perry Meridian. Eli Conlin ran for 301 yards and three scores for Decatur Central.
14. Meadville (Pa.) — 78Winning Score: Warren (Pa.) 79 |
Box ScoreYear: 2014
Highlight: Journey Brown rushed for 323 yards and three touchdowns for Meadville while Kyle Kulka ran for 333 yards and five touchdowns for Warren.
16. Castro Valley (Calif.) — 77Winning Score: Tennyson (Hayward, Calif.) 85 |
Box ScoreYear: 2014
Highlight: Christian Silva threw for 304 yards and ran for 260 yards for Tennyson.
17. Miller (Corpus Christi, Texas) — 76Winning Score: Calhoun (Port Lavaca, Texas) 77 |
Box ScoreYear: 2020
Highlight: Andrew Body threw for 292 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 261 yards and five touchdowns for Miller. Calhoun ran for 670 yards with Jarius Stewart gaining 245 yards with six touchdowns.
17. Jones (Beeville, Texas) — 76Winning Score: Miller (Corpus Christi, Texas) 86 |
Box ScoreYear: 2020
Highlight: William Harper threw for 435 yards and six touchdowns for Jones while Andrew Body threw for 249 yards and four scores and rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns for Miller.
17. Levelland (Texas) — 76Winning Score: Andrews (Texas) 77 |
Box ScoreYear: 2016
Highlight: Nick Gerber threw for 563 yards and nine touchdowns for Levelland while Triston Williams threw for 416 yards and six touchdowns for Andrews.
17. Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, Calif.) — 76Winning Score: Norco (Calif.) 77 |
Box ScoreYear: 2022
Highlight: Bear Bachmeier threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 204 yards and five scores for Murrieta Valley.
Tyler Dudden threw for 294 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 174 yards for Norco.
17. Jordan (Sandy, Utah) — 76Winning Score: Brighton (Salt Lake City) 78 |
Box ScoreYear: 2014
Highlight: Jordan's Austin Kafentzis threw for 498 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 196 yards and four scores in the loss. Robbie Hutchins threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 136 yards and two scores in the win.
22. Apache Junction (Ariz.) — 75Winning Score: Higley (Gilbert, Ariz.) 95 |
Box ScoreYear: 2014
Highlight: Mason Crossland threw for 641 yards and nine touchdowns for Higley while Adam Abbatacola threw for 565 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 169 yards and two scores.
22. St. James (Mo.) — 75Winning Score: Owensville (Mo.) 80 |
Box ScoreYear: 2011
Highlight: Jason Kottwitz had 337 yards rushing with four touchdowns for Owensville.
22. Centennial (Burleson, Texas) — 75Winning Score: Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas) 77
Year: 2013
Highlight: Demarcus Williams had 221 yards and four touchdowns for Centennial. In his first varsity start, Jett Duffey threw for 348 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 109 yards and three scores.
25. Western Hills (Frankfort, Ky.) — 74Winning Score: Lawrence County (Louisa, Ky.) 78 |
Box ScoreYear: 2018
Highlight: Nate Johnson threw for 315 yards and six touchdowns for Western Hills. Noah West rushed for 396 yards and seven touchdowns for Lawrence County.
25. Whittier Christian (La Habra, Calif.) — 74Winning Score: Western Christian (Upland, Calif.) 78 |
Box ScoreYear: 2014
Highlight: Cooper Hughes threw for 408 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for three scores for Whittier Christian. Sarkis Panossian rushed for 295 yards and three scores for Western Christian.
25. Washington (Phoenix) — 74Winning Score: Agua Fria (Avondale, Ariz.) 96 |
Box ScoreYear: 2015
Highlight: Chris Cofield ran for 357 yards and seven touchdowns for Agua Fria. Mario Armendarez threw for 756 yards and 10 touchdowns for Washington.
25. Celeste (Texas) — 74Winning Score: Bells (Texas) 94 |
Box ScoreYear: 2016
Highlight: Bryan Ponder threw for 545 yards and six touchdowns for Bells. Xavier Edwards threw for 209 yards and rushed for 156 for Celeste.
25. Ben L. Smith (Greensboro, N.C.) — 74Winning Score: Cummings (Burlington, N.C.) 88 |
Box ScoreYear: 2021 (Spring)
Highlight: Gunner Lattimore threw for 390 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for three more scores for Ben L. Smith. Tylek Oliverthrew for 240 yards and five touchdowns for Cummings.
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