By ERIC VICCARO

bnewssports@gmail.com

The Forestburg High School football team stayed stride for stride with Chillicothe for nearly four quarters in Friday’s Conference 1A Division II bi-district playoff game at Archer City.

Longhorn freshman quarterback Matthew Wallace scored on a 19-yard touchdown run with 2 minutes, 23 seconds in the fourth quarter – that trimmed Chillicothe’s lead to 44-41.

But, on 2nd-down-and-10 from Forestburg’s 33-yard line, Chillicothe’s Denzel Graves eluded a couple of would-be Longhorn tacklers en route to a TD.

That gave the Eagles the cushion they needed and Forestburg bowed out of the postseason with a 58-41 loss to Chillicothe.

Chillicothe improved to 7-4 on the season, advancing to the regional round for a game with Guthrie on Nov. 21. Forestburg finished the 2014 campaign with a mark of 6-4.

“The boys played hard tonight,” Forestburg head coach Wayne Tuckwell said.

Tuckwell thought injuries wore down the Longhorns as the game advanced. Malaci Moore missed several stretches of the game due to cramps in his right calf.

Bryan McDowell is the lone senior on the roster. McDowell played superbly in his final scholastic grid contest, catching two 24-yard TD passes from Wallace.

The Longhorns were clinging to a 34-30 at the end of three quarters, only to see the Eagles rack up 28 fourth-quarter points for the victory.

Forestburg built its lead to as much as 28-6 with 3:50 to go in the second quarter after McDowell’s second TD reception. The Longhorns took advantage of three first-half Chillicothe fumbles while amassing their advantage.

After the Eagles went four-plays-and-out, Forestburg had a chance to score again – only this time McDowell fumbled at the Chillicothe 19-yard line. The Eagles recovered, and the fulcrum began swinging in their direction.

Friday’s Result

Conference 1A Division II Playoffs

At Archer City

Chillicothe 58, Forestburg 41

Score by Quarters

Forestburg                          8              20           6              7              –             41

Chillicothe                          0              12           18           28           –             58

Scoring Summary

(Forestburg scores only)

First Quarter

F – Bryan McDowell 24 pass from Matthew Wallace (Malaci Moore kick)

Second Quarter

F – Daniel Sharon 3 run (Malaci Moore kick)

F – Malaci Moore 1 run (kick blocked)

F – McDowell 24 pass from Wallace (kick failed)

Third Quarter

F – Wallace 37 run (kick failed)

Fourth Quarter

F – Wallace 19 run (Taten Vann pass from Wallace)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

FRIDAY

Era 58, Saint Jo 14

Record: Saint Jo, 0-2

Prairie Valley 65, Wichita Falls Heat 35

Record: Prairie Valley, 1-1

TODAY

11 a.m., Gold-Burg at Electra

Forestburg freshman running back Daniel Sharon scampers free and clear during the first half of Friday’s Conference 1A Division II bi-district playoff game at Archer City. Chillicothe rallied to beat the Longhorns 58-41. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)