The red stripe down the middle of Leto football coach Matt Kitchie’s head? That’s what victory looks like.

And that look was five years in the making.

Kitchie promised his players he would dye his hair Leto red if the team won a game. And they did – five years after the last time they celebrated a victory on the football field.

Leto defeated Middleton 18-15 last Friday night for the school’s on the field victory since Nov. 9, 2009. That night, Leto also beat Middleton, 16-13 in overtime. There have been a couple of forfeit wins since then, but players don't count those. This time, Leto got it done in regulation and it counted.

When the scoreboard clock struck zero, some players cried, others stood in shock not sure how to react. After a while, the players gathered in front of the band for the school’s fight song.

“The band hadn’t had a chance to play it,” Kitchie said.

There was more celebrating on the bus ride back to Leto. Players cheered, chanted and broke out into song. They sang the alma mater.

There was pride in being a Leto Falcon.

“It was great to be a Falcon that night,” senior OL/DL Jamauri Tramel said.

Click on the video to see how one win has made all the difference in the world at Leto High School.