The girls and boys had a doubleheader against Lakeland on Thursday night, Oct. 7, and both scoreboards read the same when the final whistle blew: 0-1, Lakeland.

The girls showed a lot of hustle, but were simply outrun by the nimble Hawks. Of course, having only 11 players will wear out a team pretty quickly and the inability to substitute players is clearly the Badgers’ kryptonite at this point in the season.

All excuses aside, the players fought hard all game, especially the midfielders working both sides of the field. Had it not been for an outstanding save by Lakeland’s goalie late in the second half, Coughlin’s penalty kick, which was right on track, would probably have sent the game into overtime.

This was the Lady Badgers’ last home game of the season. They went on to play Saturday, Oct. 8, in the first round of district playoffs.

The boys really showed some grit during their evening game, which can only be described as a defensive grind. It’s always tough for a 3A team to go up against a bigger, stronger 4A team, but the Badgers certainly didn’t look like the weaker team out there.

“The game was amazing from my perspective,” coach Wayne Wilkerson told the Herald. “Our boys played smart, physical ball against a fast, well-coached team.”

The Hawks scored the game-winning goal on a corner kick late in the second half. Because it was a non-league game, the loss does not affect their number one standing in the district. The boys, who have a real shot at state this season, were given a bye in the first round of district playoffs this weekend. They will go up against either Priest River or Orofino on Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the second round.