KNOXVILLE—After a final drive that had everyone in the stands setting on the edge of their seats, the Elizabethton Cyclones came up short Friday night at Knoxville Catholic High School.

“When we needed them the most, our kids came through,” said Elizabethton head coach Shawn Witten after his team scored a near-upset, losing 24-17 in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs. “We had a bunch of different guys stepping up throughout the game”

With the score at 24-17 in favor of the Fighting Irish and only two minutes left to play, the Cyclones (8-3), after starting on their own 43-yard line, made it to the Catholic 14. On fourth-and-6 on the KC 41, a trick play that saw Caleb Armstrong pitch the ball off to Ethan Thomas, who then tossed the ball back to Armstrong for a 15-yard gain, would get ’Betsy down to the 26.