Last Friday night, fifth-seeded Varnado competed and competed hard in the quarterfinal round of the Class 1A state playoffs, but a big time comeback came up short in a 65-62 loss to fourth-seeded Arcadia.

Coming into the game, Arcadia had been to the semifinals two consecutive years and was state runner-up the year before.

The Wildcats struggled on offense and got down 16 late in the third quarter, before making a 7-0 run to get back in it.

With 1:18 left, Varnado still trailed by 10 points. The Wildcats fought back and got within three, but a shot from three-quarters court just missed.

The kids could’ve given up and accepted defeat being down by four possessions with only 78 seconds left, but they didn’t. They did everything they could and nearly overcame a tough shooting night against a very good team. The players and coaches deserve plenty of credit for comeback.

Another group of people who deserves praise were the fans.

The gym was packed over an hour before game. They were loud and enthusiastic for the entire game and helped create an amazing atmosphere for the game.

It was an exciting contest. It was a tough loss for Varnado, but the team and the fans deserve a tremendous amount of credit.