And in a game that saw four ties and three lead changes, it turned out that special teams play was the difference. A kickoff return for touchdown by Malcolm Thaxton gave the Bengals their first score of the night, and another in the fourth quarter set up the winning score.

After Athens’ KyRee Green ran in a game-tying 2-yard touchdown with 2:25 to go, Thaxton made the Jags pay for kicking deep to him again. Thaxton’s return to the Athens’ 16 set up a 1-yard plunge from Cory Hunter two plays later.

An offsides penalty on the extra point try encouraged coach Ryan Habich to give Hunter the ball from a yard out on a two-point converstion,sealing Fuquay’s 35-27 win.

After Middle Creek’s win over Panther Creek, the Tri-Nine Conference could be decided next week when Fuquay (8-1, 5-1 Tri-Nine) travels to play the Mustangs (8-1, 6-0 Tri-Nine).

“We made the stops when we needed to,” Habich said.“Offensively, we moved the ball pretty good, but we shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers, but we’ll fix that.”

Fuquay was threatening on the game-opening drive when sophomore Ricky Ferguson fumbled on the Athens 8-yard line. The Jags took the ball 92 yards in 10 plays, culminating in a three-yard Ben Snotherly draw for touchdown and an early 6-0 lead.

Thaxton took the ensuing kickoff all the way back, but since both teams missed extra point tries on their opening scores, the score was 6-6.

With 1:25 left in the first, Hunter recorded his first score of the night from two yards out. The touchdown capped a three-play, 31-yard driveand gave the Bengals a 13-6 lead.

Green provided the tying score four plays into the second quarter to tie the game at 13 apiece.

Both teams had chances to take the lead going into halftime,but Fuquay quarterback Nate Budde fumbled in Athens’ territory. The Jags immediately started working the ball down the field, but Green fumbled at the Fuquay 9 with 45 seconds left. The two teams entered the half tied.

Snotherly scored on a fourth-and-goal sneak at the Fuquay inch-line, giving his team a 20-13 lead with 2:20 left in the third. Hunter, who now has 25 rushing touchdowns on the year, answered with 8:37 left in the fourth, scoring from a yard out.

An electrifying 60-yard touchdown run from Budde, who was named homecoming king at halftime, gave Fuquay its first lead of the night with 7:16 to go.

Budde sold the inside fake to Hunter, then broke to the left sideline, where he tight-roped his way past two defenders before weaving back to the middle of the field for the score.

Down 27-20, Athens (6-3, 4-2) converted two fourth down situations, one thanks to a pass interference in the end zone, before scoring on Green’s run. The Jags, now out of the conference title race, were unable to score in the final 1:52 and will play host to Apex next week.