SANFORD- The Green Hope football team had a good chance to win its first football game in 22 tries, but the Falcons fell just short Friday at Lee County.

The Yellow Jackets defeated the Falcons 17-3 in a Tri-Nine conference matchup. Green Hope has lost 22 consecutive games and 37 of its last 38.

The Falcons trailed 10-3 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter and had the ball positioned at the Lee one yard line. Senior running back Jared Childs took the handoff and was looking to power into the end zone.

Unfortunately for the Falcons (0-6, 0-3), Childs was met by several Yellow Jacket defenders, who swarmed him and prevented Green Hope from tying the score.

“I have faith in these guys,” said Green Hope head coach Steve Katz. “We didn’t get it in this time but we will next time.”

Lee (2-4, 1-2) was able to advance the ball out of its own end and keep the field position edge early in the fourth, and midway through the quarter sealed the win with an Isaiah Williams 12-yard touchdown run.

Green Hope won Tri-Seven championships in 2003 and 2004, but has seen hard times since the 2006 season.

The Falcons scored their only points of the game late in the second quarter. Hunter Hitchings booted a 32-yard field goal to tie the score 3-3 with 2:11 remaining before halftime. The score was set up when sophomore quarterback Will Nassif completed a 37-yard pass to Brendon Lynch.

Nassif finished with 96 yards passing.

Green Hope controlled the ball for eight minutes in the third quarter, marching 69 yards on a 15-play drive. The Falcons had three chances to score with the ball inside the three-yard line, but the tying touchdown just wasn’t to be.

“Our team came out ready to play and now we understand we can play hard,” Katz said. “We just didn’t finish it tonight.

“We’ve actually played better on the road, but now we must have a great week of practice and play better at home.”

Green Hope hosts Cary on Friday in the Falcons homecoming game.