Wildkittens Coach Nick Richardson talks to his offense during a key fourth down in the final seconds of the game against Gosnell. (Democrat Photo/Mark Randall)

The Wildkittens learned a tough lesson about football this week.

Inches count.

The Kittens were stopped about eight inches short of the end zone in a 20-14 conference loss to Gosnell at home last Thursday.

"It's a heartbreaker any time you lose by inches," said head coach Nick Richardson. "I've been in that situation before myself. There's nothing really fun in that. But we have got to learn how to win. When you have the ball with a foot to go, we've got to be able to punch it in."

The Pirates got on the board first, driving 70 yards and scoring on a touchdown run by B.J. Allen with nine seconds left in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead after they failed to convert on 2-point attempt.

Trumann answered in the second quarter with a 40 yard touchdown run by Taylor McPherson with 7:07 left, but missed on a 2-point attempt to tie it at 6-all.

Gosnell regained the lead in the third quarter on a 23 yard touchdown run by Allen with :34 seconds left. The conversion attempt was again no good.

The Kittens answered and went ahead 14-12 for the first time in the game on a 13 yard touchdown run by Jimmy Creecy with 6:16 left to play in the fourth quarter. Then Creecy ran in the conversion for two points.

But their luck didn't hold for long. Gosnell again re-took the lead 20-14 on a 55 yard run by Allen, his third touchdown on a 188 yard night, with 5:54 remaining then successfully converted for two points.

Trumann got the ball back on their own 45 yard line with 2:22 remaining, but failed to convert on a key fourth down.

The Wildkittens offense would get another chance though thanks to a bad snap. The play gave them the ball on the Gosnell eight yard line with 1:20 to go in the game.

But, as the clock ticked away, Trumann was stopped short of the goal line twice.

On third down, theKittens spiked the ball to stop the clock and regroup for one more try. On that final down, though, the Pirates kept McPherson inches short of the goal line effectively ending the game there with :03 remaining on the clock.

"I thought they played hard," Richardson said. "Offensively we looked a lot better. We just needed to make some stops in pressure situations and we really didn't do that. We preached all week about playing with heart. We have to play as hard as we can on every play. And for the most part I think we did that."

Creecy finished 5 of 19 passing on the night for 66 yard, and had eight carries for 69 yards and a touchdown and 2 point conversion run.

McPherson had eight caries for 68 yards and a touchdown and 22 yards receiving. Nathan Maxwell had two catches for 13 yards, Quinton Buchanan rushed for 27 yards and Zac Buckner had one catch for 31 yards.

The Wildkittens(0-3, 0-1 3-4A) take on Highland Thursday at Wildcats Field.

Richardson said the team played a lot better this week and should stack up well against Highland.

"Highland is big and physical," Richardson said. "They don't have a whole lot of speed and neither do we. So it ought to be a good match up. I think we can get that first win. We can beat these guys if we come out and play ball."

"I've had a lot of people come up to me and say we looked a lot better. I think they are working hard to get better. We're 0-3 and that's no good. But we've had two games where we have been right in it. We've just got to learn how to win when it is close at the end and put something together and win."