Playoff hopes now hinge on a showdown with Cumberland County in two weeks as the DeKalb County came up short on a rain-slick field in Lafayette Friday night, falling in a battle of Tigers, 20-17.

The first half proved to be a defensive stalemate as the teams traded punches early with DeKalb stopping Macon’s first drive by recovering a John Mark Gammons fumble. The first mark on the scoreboard didn’t come until the last 27 seconds of the first quarter when Macon place kicker Ryan Underwood split the uprights with a 33-yard field goal. His kick culminated a 14-play, 77-yard drive.

DeKalb would respond with an Andrew Fuson 33-yard field goal midway through the second quarter after a botched fake punt by Macon which gave the visitors the ball on the Macon 47. A 20-yard jaunt by running back David Bradford brought the ball into Fuson range. The successful boot made the count 3-3.

Macon County would have the last say in the half; however, as they drove the ball 54 yards, the drive culminating with a Gammons to Landon Whitmore eight-yard touchdown pass making the count 10-3 with 40 seconds left in the first half.

DeKalb came painfully close to knotting the count at the half when Axel Aldino threw a Hail Mary as time ran out in the half, the prayer caught by Grayson Redmon. However, illegal procedure at the line of scrimmage erased the touchdown.

The DeKalb Tigers squandered a prime scoring opportunity after getting the opening kickoff of the third quarter when Aldino fumbled after his squad had penetrated to the Macon 10-yard line following a 10-play, 60-yard drive that featured two major pass completions by Aldino, one to Redmon and one to Bradford. DeKalb would be able to hold Macon to three and out and get another shot at scoring, thanks to a 25-yard jaunt by Bradford. DeKalb pushed the ball to the 26 before the drive stalled after five plays. A Fuson field goal attempt would fall just short from 44 yards out.

DeKalb’s defense would continue to stiffen throughout the third quarter, handing the ball back to the offense at the beginning of the fourth. DeKalb would then mount a 43-yard, seven-play drive and score at the 7:58 mark with a one-yard Aldino dive making the count 10-10.

Macon answered with their first successful drive of the second half culminating when Ryan Underwood snuck a 30-yard field goal over the crossbar, giving the host Tigers a 13-10 advantage at the 5:02 mark of the fourth quarter.

Hoping to respond, DeKalb thought it was on its way to a comeback as Bradford took the ball 50 yards on the next play to the Macon 10. However, to the chagrin of DeKalb Tiger fans, the long run was called back due to holding. DeKalb would pay for the penalty on the next play when an Aldino pass was tipped by a Macon lineman, intercepted and taken back to the 11. Macon would convert four plays later when Chris Oliver hauled in a one-handed catch to give his team a 20-10 lead.

The DeKalb Tigers would mount one final drive, quickly moving down the field, the big play being a 30-yard Aldino to Desmond Nokes hook up. Redmon would cap the drive with a 9-yard touchdown catch from Aldino with one minute left, making it 20-17. An attempt to get the onside kick was unsuccessful, allowing Macon to run out the clock and nail down the third-seed in the district.

The loss means should DeKalb beat Cumberland County in Smithville on Oct. 26 they will get the fourth seed in the playoffs and take on the one seed in the region.