Meadowview Christian’s pursuit of a state championship ended Friday night in a 32-16 loss to Victory Baptist-Millbrook.

Victory’s Andy Cole scored on a punt return and a 60-yard touchdown run to lead the Eagles past Meadowview and into the Christian Football Association’s 6-man football championship game next week.

The loss meant Meadowview’s incredible season — one where the Trojans made the playoffs for the first time in eight years — came to an end.

“We gave it all we had tonight,” said Meadowview Christian head coach Lebo Jones. “They were better, that’s all it was. We got outplayed and outcoached.”

Victory took the early lead after an impressive opening drive, which included converting on a fourth-and-14. Brandon Holland scored on a 4-yard touchdown to end the drive, giving Victory a 6-0 lead with 7:58 left to play in the first quarter.

Meadowview answered by doing what it did best all season — keeping the ball on the ground. JeVar McGuire ran the ball eight times on the drive and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Sam Dabit’s two-point conversion kick was good to give Meadowview an 8-6 lead with 1:16 left in the opening quarter.

On the Trojans’ next possession, Meadowview was forced to punt. Cole fielded the ball at his own 40-yard line and swerved his way through Trojan defenders for a 60-yard touchdown to put Victory up 13-8 after the one-point conversion.

Meadowview coaches felt Cole’s knee hit the ground when he fielded the ball, but he was not called down.

“We had, I thought was a bad call, but you can’t worry about that,” Jones said. “The guy’s knee was down and he ran a punt back and got us behind, but they beat us fair and square. They were quicker than we were and that was the difference.”

Meadowview got the ball to begin the second half, but couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-22 and gave the ball back to Victory at the Eagles’ own 40-yard line.

On the first play of the drive, Cole raced 60 yards down the home sideline for a touchdown that put the Eagles up 19-8.

After Meadowview was forced to punt, Dabit intercepted a Cole pass at the Victory 30-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-10, Meadowview quarterback Jeremy Lee threw a pass to Tyler Sebren, who fought for the first down but was brought down one yard short.

The Trojans’ defense kept Meadowview in it by forcing another stop and the Trojans put together their best drive of the second half. Meadowview drove 41 yards in six plays and McGuire’s 3-yard touchdown pulled the Trojans within 19-16 with 9:10 left to play.

Victory answered with a methodical seven-play drive that put the game away. Mason Byrd capped it off with a 3-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Holland, giving Victory a 25-16 lead at the 6:47 mark of the fourth quarter.

Meadowview couldn’t respond and the Trojans turned the ball over on downs. Tanner Talley’s 2-yard touchdown with 2:23 left was the final score of the game.

Victory, who won the 6-man championship last year, will play a home game next week in the state championship.

“I’m very proud of our guys and the way they played tonight in the face of adversity,” said Victory coach Jim Hardy. “Worked hard every play to make it happen.”

Meadowview won the first meeting between the schools 27-26 behind its strong running game. On Friday, Victory kept the Trojans in check, allowing just 182 total yards. Victory had 227 yards.

“We won six games in a row and got to the playoffs for the first time in eight or nine years,” Jones said. ”We have nothing to hang our heads about.”