The Auburn Trojans found themselves in another tight finish Oct. 23. Despite having a 17-point lead early in the game, the Trojans could not hold off a surging Mount Rainier High School Rams team, ultimately losing 45-40 in a back-and-forth thriller.

“We’ve been in this situation now, like three, four, too many weeks in a row. Halftime leads, momentum shifts, that’s football,” Auburn Head Coach Aaron Chantler said. “I’m proud of the way the kids battled.”

The game had all the markings of a shootout as Auburn started out hot. After the Rams opened the game with a field goal, the Trojans scored three straight touchdowns to take a 20-3 lead.

Junior quarterback Isaiah Avelar and senior wide receiver Lucas Whitehall-Gilkes accounted for most of the Trojans’ offense. They accounted for two of the three touchdowns in the first half.

But Mount Rainier refused to fold, scoring a touchdown and a field goal with five minutes left in the first half to trim their deficit to 20-13.

From there, the Rams and Trojans traded scores. In the third quarter, both teams put up a combined 26 points. The quarter ended with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Avelar to Whitehall-Gilkes, giving the Trojans a 34-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“I thought the offense kept battling. Lucas had a good game. Isaiah had a good game. I thought our special teams played really well,” Chantler said.

But each time the Trojans pulled ahead, the Rams found an answer. Mount Rainier immediately responded with a long drive of their own, scoring on a 9-yard scamper to cut the Trojans’ lead to 34-32.

On Auburn’s next drive, Avelar and Whitehall-Gilkes connected on a 33-yard touchdown pass for their fourth score of the game. After a missed two-point conversion, the Trojans held on to a 40-32 lead with nine minutes to go.

Auburn Trojans stand for the national anthem. Photo provided by Nathan Hyun

With just over six minutes remaining in the game, the Rams struck again to cut the lead to 40-38. Auburn’s next drive stalled, forcing a point. It did not take long for Mount Rainier to capitalize.

The Rams connected on a 75-yard touchdown pass to take a 45-40 lead. Auburn had one final chance to rally, but a turnover on downs sealed the Rams’ comeback win.

“Coach [Quincy] Carter does a great job over there at Mount Rainier,” Chantler said. “He comes to the line and he’s like ‘Man, you guys do a great job.’ It doesn’t make the kids feel any better, but it’s nice that other teams respect what we’re doing, which is really cool to see.”

The loss drops the Trojans to 2-6 on the season and marks their fifth straight defeat. For Chantler, this season represents a rare setback. This season will be the first time in four years that his team will not reach the playoffs. Still, Chantler emphasized pride and perseverance.

“We’ve shown resolve all season long. We’ve continued to fight and push through a lot. We don’t have a lot of depth, and so when we’re banged up, other kids step up,” Chantler said. “For some of these kids, to just finish the game was a testament to their character and work ethic.”

Chantler said their record does not reflect their play this season. The Trojans have faced narrow defeats all season, including two-point losses to both Stadium and Bellarmine. Auburn also has a positive point differential for the season.

With one game left in the season, Chantler’s message to the team remains consistent.

“We talked a lot about legacy and how you want them to be remembered. It’s hard,” Chantler said. “Even though we’re not going to the playoffs, we just want to keep getting better every day and hope it pays off for them in the long run.”

Next up, one final game to finish the season. The Trojans will take on Auburn Riverside on their senior night, Oct. 30.