One could feel the sadness penetrating on the field as Friday night’s game against Brandon (1-4) fell out of the Knights’ hands. The final few minutes dictated the outcome of the game as the Knights (1-3) gave up a touchdown with a minute left and lost the game 24-17.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” head coach Shawn Taylor said. “They made some plays, we made some plays. But they made more.”

The Knights started off hot gaining yardage on consecutive runs. A 22-yard field goal for kicker William Roseman (’18) halfway through the first quarter put them on the board first. But the Eagles immediately answered back with a touchdown.

The first half continued to be back and forth, with touchdowns for both Robinson and Brandon, and the Eagles clinched the lead 14-10 heading into halftime.

Kyreice Lake (’19) ran the ball into the end zone early in the third quarter to put the Knights ahead and tight defense helped maintain the lead.

Lake was the leading receiver of the night with 61 yards and three catches. Taquan Mason (’18) had 20 carries for 104 yards.

Neither team made offensive moves in the fourth and both teams were forced to punt several times. It wasn’t until there were two minutes left in the game that Brandon began driving down the field. After a penalty gave them a first down at the goal line, the Eagles ran the ball into the end zone, taking the lead with one minute left in the game.

But the game wasn’t over. Robinson immediately answered their call, driving down the field as quickly as possible as the clock dwindled down. Key catches brought them to Brandon’s 15 yard line, but a fumble for Lake and an Eagle recovery with 24 seconds left secured Brandon’s win.

“We played hard, but that (loss) was tough,” defensive end James Pardee said. “We have to win against Jesuit, that’s all I can say.”

The Knights face Jesuit (2-3) in a district matchup this Friday, October 15, at Jesuit High School (4701 N Himes Ave, Tampa, FL 33614).