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By Ron Marvel

Star Correspondent

Cloudland kept fighting all night Friday but came up just short when the final bell rang. The Highlanders fell 27-26 in a back-and-forth affair that saw several lead changes and key defensive stops. Despite their high level of effort and heart, the Highlanders could not overcome their own mistakes and ill-timed penalties.

The Highlanders struck first when Landon Barnette broke a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone, putting Cloudland up 6-0. The Eagles responded with a 13-play drive, capped off by a quarterback dive off tackle by Matthew McMahan, making the score 7-6. Cosby took the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter when McMahan connected with Devante Wingate on a 35-yard strike to go up 13-6. The Highlanders responded with an 8-yard TD run by Barnette, and Grayson Cole added the 2-point conversion to put Cloudland ahead 14-13.

Cosby struck quickly to retake the lead on another big play through the air, as McMahan found Wingate again, this time for a 66-yard pass. Cole and the Highlanders tied the game going into halftime at 20-all as Cole ran the ball in from 10 yards out.

Both defenses shined in the third quarter, keeping the tie intact. However, Cosby broke the 20-20 stalemate in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, as McMahan hit Devante Wigfall for a 51-yard touchdown, making it 27-20. Cloudland responded in a big way when Cole ran one in from 47 yards to make it 27-26. The Highlanders attempted to break the tie with a 2-point conversion but were stopped, allowing the Eagles to cling to their one-point lead.

Cloudland attempted an onside kick but failed to recover it. Still, the Highlanders forced Cosby to punt the ball away with just under a minute left. However, the Highlanders couldn’t muster one final offensive push, and their 35-game winning streak against Region 1-A teams came to an end. Cosby, which finished last season 1-9, celebrated the victory on Cloudland’s own field—a moment that Head Highlanders Coach Zac Benfield wanted his squad to remember.

“Deep respect to Cosby; that’s a good football team. In the locker room, I told the team to remember how it feels to look at Cosby and see how excited they are and to use that for motivation,” Benfield shared. In the end, the Highlanders’ penalties and mistakes were just too much to overcome, despite the team’s hard work, determination, and effort. “You have to use your legs and brains. We hurt ourselves over and over again with our mistakes and penalties. Hard work can just go to waste,” Coach Benfield exclaimed.

Cole finished the night with 217 rushing yards, while Barnette chipped in 106 yards on 20 carries. Both Cole and Camden Peppers had big defensive efforts in the loss for the Highlanders.

Cloudland fell to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in the district but still has the opportunity to host a playoff game and remains in contention for the district title. The Highlanders must now quickly turn the page as they prepare to face a quality (5-2) North Greene Huskies team.

“They are a good football team that will keep you on your toes. They have a good running back in Yeshua Vaught and a talented, athletic quarterback in Thomas Darnell. They do a lot of RPO and fake pulls—a lot of good athletes,” Coach Benfield shared. The Highlanders will host the Huskies, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.