Four yards: the difference between a win that would almost assuredly mean a district title and a crushing loss that would dash the hopes of the Olympic Heights football team advancing to the post season playoffs.

The latter is the bitter reality for the Lions squad as a fourth and goal OH pass from the Forest Hill 4-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the game fell harmlessly into the end zone, giving the Forest Hill Falcons a 34-28 win and virtually ending the Lions’ playoff hopes on Thursday night, Oct. 19, at Corey Lewis Stadium.

The Lions’ final drive that had them looking to cap a furious comeback from a 21-0 halftime deficit began on their own 40-yard line with 3:27 remaining on the clock. The Lions took the ball down to the Falcons’ 7-yard line by converting on several third and fourth down plays.

The Forest Hill defensive front came up big when it mattered, however, limiting three straight OH run plays to just three yards, setting up the fateful fourth and goal incomplete pass from the 4-yard line.

The Lions dug themselves a pretty deep hole in the first half, giving up three quick touchdowns to the Falcons. The Lions defense struggled the entire first half to stop the Falcons running back duo of Bry’yon Jones and Charles Eaton. Numerous missed tackles led to 83-yard and 18-yard touchdown runs by Jones and a 47-yard touchdown run by Eaton. The pair combined for a total of 361 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the night.

The Lions managed to pull within seven points as quarterback James Micioni hooked up with wide out Michael Ippolito on a 70-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. That score was followed by a Reis Clark touchdown run putting the score at 21-14. But, on the next series, the Falcons once again scored on a long run as Eaton broke tackle after tackle on an 86-yard jaunt into the end zone, extending the Forest Hill lead to 28-14.

The Lions answered that score with a drive culminating on a Micioni 4-yard touchdown run. However, the Falcons scored on their next possession on a 64-yard Jones touchdown run, seemingly putting the game out of reach at 34-21.

But the Lions would not roll over, as on the next series Micioni found a streaking Ippolito in the end zone to pull the Lions within six points with less than six minutes remaining in the game.

The OH defense stood strong on the Falcons’ next possession, forcing a three-and-out and a punt the set the Lions up for a game-winning 60-yard drive: a game winning drive that never came to be as it fell four yards short.

Four yards. Twelve feet. One hundred forty-four inches. Short.

The Lions, now 3-4 on the season, will next play at Royal Palm Beach on Oct. 27, and at Santaluces on Nov. 2, needing to win both games to salvage a winning season.