The Falcon varsity football team fell short to the Episcopal Knights in the homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 21.

The Falcons struggled on both sides of the ball at the start of the game. At halftime, the score was 21-0. Episcopal finished the second quarter with a huge pass for a touchdown.

The Falcons were able to regroup in the second half, and the defense kept the Knights scoreless throughout the second half. 

In the fourth quarter, Kinkaid made a momentous comeback. 

The Falcons recovered Episcopal’s fumbled punt around the 30-yard line. A couple of plays later, senior and Notre Dame commit Micah Bell scored Kinkaid’s first touchdown of the night. 

After Bell’s touchdown, the Falcons attempted an onside kick and miraculously recovered the ball. Once again, the offense led by Bell and junior Miles Roeder scored a touchdown. The Falcons went for a two-point conversion after the touchdown, and they were successful with Bell dodging the Knights’ defense and running into the endzone with ease. 

With the score now at 21-15, the student section was wild. 

“The game was a special experience,” sophomore Cami Culbertson said. Though we lost, the suspense of the moment and the special time spent with friends made this super memorable.

Football coach Nathan Larned tried another onside kick, but Episcopal recovered it. That could have been the game, but Kinkaid’s defense held the Knights, forcing them into a turnover. The turnover occurred when junior Will McMackin had an incredible clutch sack on a fourth down, which gave Kinkaid one final chance to score a touchdown for the win. 

The Falcon football team drove down the field, getting to the red zone. With five seconds left, the Falcons had a shot at the end zone and a shot at victory, when sophomore quarterback Cooper Chambers passed to senior receiver Harrison Lawrence. That pass was broken up by the Episcopal defense, leading to a win for the Knights.

“We came back strong in the last quarter and ended with a bang,” junior and outside linebacker Josh Sweetland said.

Although the team lost this game, they are not out of the Southwest Preparatory Conference race and could possibly have a rematch against Episcopal in the playoffs.