Leavenworth, Kan.— A fourth-quarter safety proved to be the difference as the Spire dropped a tight 8-7 flag football contest to the visiting Hesston College Larks on Saturday afternoon at Charles Berkel Memorial Stadium.

In a game dominated by defense and field position, the decisive play came with 7:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. With USM just barely ahead at 7-6, the Spires were backed up near their own goal line when a fumble at the stripe turned into a safety, awarding two points and an 8-7 lead to the Larks. Despite multiple late opportunities, the Spires could not find the go-ahead score as Hesston held on for the one-point victory.

Saint Mary's offense showed periods of balance and explosiveness. Quarterback Aiva Lavea led the Spires with 60 rushing yards on 12 attempts and accounted for the Spires lone touchdown. Late in the second quarter, Lavea capped a sustained drive with a rushing touchdown and followed with a successful point-after attempt to Bralei Criss to erase a 6-0 deficit and send the game to halftime with USM in front 7-6.

Defensively, the Spires repeatedly turned momentum with timely takeaways. Saint Mary intercepted Pabon three times, highlighted by a pair of interceptions from Bralei Criss. Criss, Ma'Kayla Acres, Kerisma Delgado, and Demi Hylton were key in helping limit Hesston to just one offensive touchdown despite the Larks' 45 pass attempts. Saint Mary also forced a fumble and recovered another Hesston miscue at the Larks' 16-yard line with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, giving the Spires a prime chance to reclaim the lead in the final minutes.

Saint Mary's defense also held up in the pass rush, matching Hesston with three sacks for 19 yards and keeping the Larks from breaking big plays downfield. Brown, who finished with 15 receptions for 93 yards and the Larks' lone touchdown, was kept in front of the secondary despite his volume, with the Spires forcing Hesston to work in short and intermediate routes. That defensive resilience kept the game within a single possession throughout and gave the Spires a chance deep into the fourth quarter.

Ultimately, the narrow margin came down to small details — a failed Hesston extra point offset by the fourth-quarter safety, and a late Spires drive that came up just short. Though the result went against the home squad, the performance of playmakers such as Lavea and Criss, combined with a defense that allowed only one touchdown, provided a strong foundation as the Spires look ahead to the rest of the early season.

Coming up, USM will say at home for a midweek match up against Graceland University at Berkel Memorial on Wednesday, March 11^th with game time set for 6:00 p.m.