The Steinbach Regional Secondary School dropped a 9-8 decision to the Miles Macdonell Buckeyes Friday at Eastside Eagles Field and finished the regular season on a two-game losing skid.

"It wasn't a great performance by our guys," said SRSS head coach Jamie Peters. "We didn't really come out and compete. Defensively we played well like usual, but offensively we just came out flat. We were flat for the whole game. We had a late score off a fake punt and then we had a chance to win it again. It's the third time we've had an opportunity to win a game late and we just came up a bit short."

Trailing by two points, Sabres kicker Eric Adams watched his 31-yard field goal attempt for the win sail wide right on the final play of the game.

Miles Macdonell held on to a 9-0 lead until Hunter Nielsen caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Harrison Pankratz with just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Austin Buhler carried the ball 22 times for 81 yards.

The SRSS defenseman forced two turnovers.

The Sabres, Buckeyes and Crocus Plains Plainsmen finished tied for third place in the Winnipeg High School Football League's Kas Vidruk Division with identical 4-3 records.

"This team is kind of where I thought it was going to be," Peters said. "We can beat everybody and we are fully capable of losing to everybody. It is going to be a question of what do our players want to do and are we going to make the choice to make sure we're focused and bear down."

"The coaches are going to get these guys prepared for next week and the playoffs," added the Sabres head coach. "It's win or go home and that's ultimately the next season."