With rain canceling the last two weeks of games, the players and coaches of the Community Youth Football League were anxious to get back on the gridiron at Kugler Field.

In the second of five games on Saturday, an 8U division matchup, a last-second touchdown from the visiting Titans sunk the host Panthers, 12-8, in what was a defensive-minded four quarters.

For Washington, 7-year-old JaTavion Ebron, who rotated between tailback and wildcat quarterback in the wishbone offense, led the way with 65 yards on seven carries, scoring his team’s only touchdown of the afternoon. Fullback Max Vansant, 8, also had a solid performance with 34 yards on six carries and a successful two-point conversion.

On the first play of the game, Greenville’s J.T. Williams broke free for a 24-yard run, but Washington defense came through and forced a three-and-out. On the ensuing drive, Vansant and Ebron drove down field into Titans’ territory. However, a fumble on the 29-yard line would cut the series short.

After a scoreless first quarter, it was Tyreek Copper who finally broke the score open with a dynamic 55-yard run through a host of Panthers defenders and up the sideline. The Greenville defense, once again, came up big, a bad snap resulting in another three-and-out for Washington. And in the final seconds, Copper jetted up the sidelines 58 yard, but a holding call overturned the score, resulting in a 6-0 Greenville lead at the break.

Finally, on the third play of the second half, Ebron found an opening and went 34 yards into the endzone for six. Vansant dove up the middle for the two-point conversation, giving the Panthers an 8-6 lead.

A lengthy Washington drive that stretched from the third quarter deep into the fourth drained clock, but two false start penalties erased any potential scoring opportunities.

Then, with under a minute left, a pair of 15-yard runs from Copper placed Greenville on the Washington 1-yard line, as the seconds ticked away. With 11.4 seconds remaining, Khaliq Marsh punched it in for six, giving the visitors a 12-8 victory.

With the loss, the Panthers drop to 0-3 heading into the 8U bye week.