Meadowview Christian’s comeback attempt fell short in a 49-33 loss to South Montgomery County Academy Thursday night at Wasden Field.

The Trojans had numerous chances to get back in the game and nearly took advantage with two fourth quarter touchdowns. But, every time Meadowview inched close, the Raiders would make a big play or take advantage of a big penalty.

“We played good enough to win. If not for a few penalties and a few breakdowns in our kickoff coverage, we could’ve won the game I thought,” Meadowview Christian head coach Lebo Jones said. “The guys never quit. They haven’t quit all year. They played hard and I am real proud of them.”

SMCA made huge plays on special teams, returning two kickoffs deep into Trojans territory to set up short touchdown drives in the second half.

The second big return came following a score by Meadowview’s Carstella Hayes that brought the Trojans within 37-32 with 3:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Raiders’ Hunter Johnson returned the kickoff to the Trojans 32-yard line, setting teammate Colt Hicks up for a 25-yard touchdown run four plays later to extend SMCA’s lead to 43-33.

“I think the two long kickoff returns really hurt us,” Jones said. “It hurt our field position because we had a long drive there in the third quarter into the fourth quarter to cut the lead to four. We kicked the ball off and they run it all the way back to the 10-yard line. That really killed us.”

The first long SMCA kickoff return came after Meadowview’s previous touchdown — a run by C. J. Grimes ­— which made the score 31-26 with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter.

Johnson returned the kickoff 93-yards and set SMCA up at the Meadowview 4-yard line after a horse collar penalty was tacked on at the end of the run. From there, Cole Brightwell scored from 4-yards out to extend the Raiders lead to 37-26.

Despite the sour ending, early on it looked like it might be Meadowview’s night. The Trojans took a 14-7 lead after Grimes scored his second of four touchdowns on a 21-yard interception return.

The Raiders answered with three consecutive scores — all by Johnson — to take a 31-14 lead with 5:14 remaining in the second quarter.

However, Meadowview wouldn’t go away on this night, not with four seniors playing their last game for the Trojans. On the next two Meadowview drives, Grimes scored his third and fourth touchdowns of the night to pull Meadowview within 31-26.

From there, Johnson’s big kickoff returns helped the Raiders hold off the Trojans. Following Hicks touchdown that made the score 43-33, the Raiders added one more insurance score to make the lead 49-33.

With the loss, Meadowview’s season ends, but Jones said his team will take some momentum from this game into offseason workouts.

“We’ve got a real young team,” Jones said. “When you’ve got three eighth graders and three ninth graders starting, you’re young, so I am looking forward to next year.”