LOWER LAKE — The Lower Lake Trojans couldn't hold onto an 18-6 lead in the fourth quarter or the ball in the final seconds of a 19-18 loss to the Fort Bragg Timberwolves on Friday night at Gordon Sadler Field.

The North Central League I varsity football game matched two teams looking for their first league win and the Timberwolves (1-3 league, 2-5 overall) got it by the barest of margins when, with time left on the clock, a Lower Lake receiver came down with the football in the end zone only to lose control of it as he landed.

"It was a jump ball, he took it away from the defender but the ball ended up on the ground," Lower Lake head coach Jeremy Jakubowski said of the game's final play.

Fort Bragg scored with 1:33 remaining to take a 19-18 lead. Lower Lake took over near midfield following the kickoff and moved the ball to the Timberwolf 7-yard-line with three passes, a run and a 15-yard penalty on Fort Bragg.

"We hiked the ball with three seconds left," Jakubowski said of the last play of the game.

Makoa Brown scored all three Lower Lake touchdowns on short runs — 5 yards in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead, 4 yards in the third quarter for a 12-6 lead, and 3 yards in the fourth quarter for a 18-6 lead. All three conversions — two running, one passing — failed.

The Timberwolves closed to 18-13 on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 8:13 left in the game and took the lead with a nine-play drive capped by a 50-yard pass on a fourth-and-25 play.

Brown finished with 44 yards rushing. Lower Lake quarterback Xander Hernandez completed 12 passes for 89 yards.

Lower Lake (0-4, 0-6) celebrates its homecoming next Friday against Willits (2-2, 2-5).

Fort Bragg forfeited the junior varsity game.