It was a true rivalry game Friday night as the L'Anse Creuse North Crusaders fought the Lancers point-for-point into the final minutes of the game, finally falling 20-21 to their district foes.

"We lost our rivalry, but it did live up to the billing," said Mark Forbert, acting head coach for the Crusaders this game. "We outrushed them, but they outscored us. Both sides played really, really hard. Unfortunately for us, we haven't learned how to win a game yet."

It was L'Anse Creuse North that found the end zone first, taking the team to 7-0 in the first quarter. Two more Crusader touchdowns continued the lead in the second, but answering touchdowns by L'Anse Creuse left the score at 20-14 Crusaders in the third.

At game's end, it was the Lancers that edged the Crusaders 21-20 for the win and the rivalry's grand prize, the John Armstrong jug trophy.

"It came down to the fourth quarter," Forbert said. "We had the lead into the middle of the fourth quarter, then (the Lancers made) a 50- (or) 65-yard pass, and the kid was wide open. They made the field goal, and they blocked our extra point early, so that's the ball game."

This loss was the Crusaders fifth consecutive this season.

The team next hosts Eisenhower at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30.