MERRY HILL – So close, yet so far away.

Lawrence Academy’s varsity football team held a 32-30 lead over Word of God with just over two minutes to play. Unfortunately, the Warriors couldn’t hold off the heavily favored Holy Rams as the visitors came back to score a 36-32 victory.

Lawrence led 32-28 late in the game and held Word of God on a fourth-and-eight when Brandon Stifflemire intercepted the football at the three-yardline. On the next play, however, Blake Hill was tackled in the endzone for a safety making it 32-30 with 2:16 to play.

Word of God then got the football at the Lawrence 32-yardline after the free kick. Jaylein Parker picked up seven yards on first down and then 21 on second to move the football to the Warrior four-yardline. On the next play, Parker scored to give the Holy Rams the lead.

The conversion pass failed, but Word of God led 36-32.

The Warriors tried to battle back on their next possession. Shane Leggett had back-to-back carries to move the football from the Lawrence 45-yardline to the Word of God 39-yardline.

From there, quarterback Cade Larabee picked up 18 yards down to the 21-yardline. Hill then had a six-yard scamper to the 15. The momentum was killed on the next play, however, as an intentional grounding penalty move the Warriors back 15 yards. Leggett picked up two yards on the next play, but an incomplete pass ended the comeback hopes.

Word of God got on the board first in the contest when Parker capped a 72-yard drive with a one-yard plunge. The conversion failed, but the Hold Rams led 6-0.

The Warriors, responded, however, when they put together a two-play, 45-yard drive late in the first quarter. Leggett went 30 yards on the first play from scrimmage and then Hill covered the final 15 on the next snap. Patrick Dilday added the conversion and Lawrence led 7-6 with 12 seconds to play in the first quarter.

The Warriors then padded their lead early in the second quarter. After Leggett picked up eight yards, Larabee connected with him on a 14-yard pass play to move the football to the 15-yardline.

On the next play, Leggett took the handoff and scampered the remaining distance to the goal. The kick was blocked, but Lawrence led 13-6.

Word of God answered on the next play from scrimmage, however as Parker connected with Alex Barnes on a 56-yard touchdown pass. Parker then found Demetrius Washington on the two-point conversion to give Word of God a 14-13 lead with 8:45 to play in the first half.

Both teams would score again before the first half ended.

Lawrence found paydirt first when Larabee capped a five-play, 90-yard drive with a one-yard plunge. He had the key play on the series as well, going 55 yards on the first snap after Leggett intercepted a Parker pass.

Dilday added the PAT to give Lawrence a 20-14 lead.

Word of God scored on their next possession, going 61 yards in six plays. Parker scored from three yards out to tie the game. The conversion run failed leaving the game deadlocked at 20-all during the intermission.

As the second half started, the Holy Rams wasted little time taking the lead. Parker scored on a 75-yard run on the second play of the half. Washington added the conversion to give Word of God a 28-20 lead.

Lawrence closed the gap late in the third quarter when Larabee broke a 17-yard run to paydirt. The conversion run failed, but the Warriors were within two (28-26) with 3:14 to play in the third quarter.

The Warriors blocked a Word of God punt late in the third quarter and capitalized on it on the first play of the fourth period. Leggett went in from four yards out. The kick failed, but Lawrence led 32-28.

The Warriors rushed for 253 yards last night as well as passing for 106. They drop to 1-4 on the season heading into next week’s home date with Halifax Academy.