NATRONA HEIGHTS — It was a microcosm of Knoch's season: Four plays inside the 5-yard line, one inch short.

The Knoch football team has come up just shy of its goals all season and it came just shy of a possible playoff berth with a 20-0 road loss to Highlands Friday night.

Justin McGowan was stopped on a fourth-and-goal play at the one-inch line in the third quarter to keep the Knights from a possible tying score.

Worse than that, it wrested the momentum away from Knoch and put it squarely on Highlands' side.

"Inside the 5, that's all heart," said Highlands coach Sam Albert. "You can scheme all you want, but it comes down to heart."

The goal-line stand helped preserve the fourth shutout of the season for the Golden Rams.

It also came with Knoch's top rusher, AlexWhisler, on the bench.

The junior back injured his right ankle earlier in the drive and was on the sidelines as Knoch drove to the Highlands 5.

McGowan carried twice for one yard, then quarterback ZackGross scrambled to the 1 to set up the fourth-down stand.

Knoch players celebrated, thinking McGowan had crossed the goal line, but officials marked that ball inside the 1.

"I had a bad angle, (but) I thought he was in," said Knoch coach Mike King. "I count steps down there. I count how many steps he took forward and where the ball was. The ref didn't think he was in. I can't make any comment on that until I see the film."

Knoch's defense held, however, forcing a three-and-out.

But on the Knights' second offensive play of the ensuing drive, they lost a fumble and Highlands promptly turned it into a touchdown to lead 13-0.

"We were going to have to play mistake-free football to win the football game tonight," King said. "I really feel that sometimes when you coach high school football, you have a group of guys who really, really want to do their best, and they don't mean to make mistakes.

"But they just haven't been through the wars enough to understand that when it comes to this kind of game against that kind of team, you can't make that many mistakes."

The mistakes overshadowed a Knoch defense that played well most of the night.

Highlands (7-2, 4-2) managed just 185 total yards, including 115 on 32 rushing attempts.

Ben Douglas paced the Golden Rams with 53 yards on 12 carries. He scored the first touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run to end Highlands' first possession.

The Highlands defense held Knoch (4-5, 2-4) to a mere 110 total yards.

Coming into the season, not much was expected out of the Golden Rams.

"We have a small defense," Albert said. "But we have a lot of speed and we're aggressive."

Albert was worried aboutWhisler.

"He's bigger than anyone we have on defense," Albert said.

ButWhisler was limited to 52 yards on 14 carries. He returned in the fourth quarter from his ankle injury, but he wasn't the same.

Whisler has battled injuries all season.

"We have to find a way to keep him healthy next season," King said.

While this season didn't end the way King wanted it to, next season may be promising for the coach.

"Kids develop and mature. They'll rebound," King said. "It's just a shame for our seniors. But that's just the way it is."