It seemed like nothing could go right for the Monarch Coyotes at the annual Homecoming game Friday night, as they fell to the Poudre Impalas of Fort Collins 7-2 in a low-scoring defensive contest.

Although Monarch has seen better outings in the past, they did have their chances throughout the game.

Midway through the first quarter, senior running back Bruce Oliver coughed up the ball in the red zone on a drive that was surely going to be Monarch’s answer to Poudre’s early success. At the beginning of the fourth, junior quarterback Zach Berohn fumbled turned the ball over twice to the Impalas defense, fumbling once and throwing a pick the second time.

Hope was present late, though, as Monarch’s ruthless defensive squad forced the Poudre offense into a safety to cut the Impala lead reach to five points.

Late in the game, with the crowd anxiously awaiting a score, Monarch regained possession on the Poudre 40, and the idea of a Monarch win once again became a realistic possibility. After a few runs and a couple of crisp, accurate passes by Berohn, the Coyotes were faced with an all or nothing situation with 0.4 seconds remaining on the game clock.

Instead of relying on Berohn’s arm for the final play, coach Phil Bravo decided to run the ball straight up the middle, sticking to the game plan that had brought them the most success throughout the game. The play did not go as planned though, as Oliver was almost instantaneously dropped to the ground, sending the Poudre bench skipping onto the field in triumph.

After the game, coaches and players declined to comment.

The focus will now shift to next Friday’s game at Mountain Range, where the Coyotes will have their hands full with an extremely resilient Mustangs team. But if the Monarch offense finds a spark early on, it could be a huge bounce back victory for 2-1 Monarch.