PINEVILLE — Williamsburg held off the Mountain Lions 44-43 Friday night, as Al Merrick’s 37-yard field goal in the final seconds was off the mark.

“It was a great game, I just wish we could have had two more points,” Pineville coach Bart Elam said “I can look at every kid that played for us and they all played their tails off all night. I couldn’t be more proud of them, we just have to learn how to finish things off.”

The Lions led 43-30 in the fourth quarter. Cody Hendrickson rushed for 217 yards after setting out the first half to lead Pineville’s charge in a game that went back and forth all night.

Williamsburg took advantage of an early Lion fumble to go up 8-0. But the Lions answered right back as senior A.Y. Evans took a reverse pitch from Mark Combs 27 yards for a touchdown. Merrick’s kick made it a one point game.

The Lions took their first lead early in the second quarter as sophomore Brandon Bailey broke a tackle and out-ran the Yellow Jacket defense for a 71-yard touchdown and a 14-8 Pineville lead.

After the teams traded interceptions, Ryan Moses passed Williamsburg down the field. He threw a TD pass to James Payne and then ran in the conversion as Williamsburg took a 16-14 lead into the half.

The teams matched each other score for score throughout the third quarter. It was the Lions doing most of their damage on the ground while Williamsburg attacked through the air.

The Lions pulled ahead in the fourth quarter to go up by two scores. But it was Moses who had the last laugh. His touchdown pass put the Jackets up 44-43 with twenty seconds to play in the game.

Pineville wasn’t done. They ran a receiver double-pass play for a big gain down to the Williamsburg 20 yard line with eight seconds to play.

Merrick came on to attempt the game-winner, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“Every game’s got to have a winner and a loser, that’s the way it goes,” Elam said. “But we’re improving and just came up a little short.

“It we bring the same intensity next week we can win at Allen Central.”

Pineville closes the regular season with a 4-6 record. They’ll visit Allen Central (9-1) next week for the first round of the playoffs.

Williamsburg (5-5) hosts Fairview in their first rounder next week.