THOMASTON - It was a tale of two halves, well really, a tale of the fourth quarter for the Long County Blue Tide football team when they traveled to play the 12th-seeded Upson-Lee Knights in the first round of the state playoffs. The Tide saw their historic season come to a close with a 35-23 loss to the Knights.

Things could not have started out worse for the Tide as the Knights’ Akeondre Chaney took the short kickoff 70 yards to the endzone to take an early 8-0 lead in the game.

Jason Familia nearly broke away on the ensuing kickoff as he set the Tide up at the Knights 35. They drove down inside the 10 and faced a third and 8 from the 9-yard line.

Quarterback Dylan Tyler found a wide open Familia, who walked into the endzone, but a holding penalty brought the touchdown back. Nick Contreras’ ensuing 26-yard field goal attempt went wide left as the Knights took over at their own 19 up 8-0.

On fourth and 7, the Tide caught the Knights napping as they snapped the ball while they were subbing several players and caught them with an illegal substitution on the punt. The punt wound up at the Knights’ 7-yard line but the Tide took the penalty, leaving them with fourth-and-2 at the 37. The Knights stopped them and took over.

Upson-Lee extended its lead to 15-0 on Nicholas Wells’ 59-yard touchdown pass to Chaney on the first play of the second quarter.

On third and long from the Knight 41, Familia got the call up the middle as he raced all the way to the endzone to make the score 15-7 with 10:11 left in the half.

Tyler recovered a bad Knights shotgun snap at the Tide 43, which led to a Contreras 24-yard field goal with 4:10 left in the first half.

Familia’s interception on the next Knights possession set up the Tide at the Upson-Lee 24. A pass interference and two holding calls on the Knights extended the drive, which Tyler ended with a 6-yard pass to Familia, putting the Tide ahead 17-15 with just seconds left in the half.

From their own 31 after a Tyler Gamble tackle for loss, the Knights were intercepted by Familia as he set up the Tide at the Knight 24.

Chris Hatfield picked up his school-record eighth interception on the final play of the half, picking off a desperation heave.

The Knights had one last heave chance to get points before the half, but Hatfield came down with his school-record 8th interception of the season as the Tide held the slim 17-15 lead going into the break.

Late in the quarter, the Tide had a fourth and 2 from the Knight 32 as their offense stayed on the field. They were just short of the first down and without a measurement, head coach Mike Pfiester got upset on the sideline. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave the Knights the ball at their own 45, and Wells scored on a short TD run to put the Knights back in front 21-17 to open the fourth quarter.

The Knights recovered a fumble on the Tide’s next play from scrimmage, taking over at the Long County 27. Wells’ second TD run put the Knights up 28-17 and the air was sucked out of the Tide sideline.

Or so they thought.

A defensive holding penalty on a deep pass gave the Tide more life as they set up at their own 45. An unsportsmanlike conduct call on the Knights also aided the Tide, giving them the ball at the Knights 29.

Tyler then found Charles on a swing pass. He went down his own sideline to get into the endzone and make the score 28-23 after the two-point conversion was no good.

Wells and Chaney hooked up on another 35-yard pass to make the score 35-23 with 7:00 left in the game.

Upson-Lee thwarted Long County’s last chance on an interception deep in their own territory, and the Knights ran out the rest of the clock.

With the loss, the Tide’s historic season comes to an end as they finish the season 7-4. Upson-Lee (8-3) will face North Hall in the second round.