NATCHEZ — In a game that had a little bit of everything, the ending was all too familiar for the Cathedral Green Wave.

Pierson Waring kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime to give St. Aloysius a 10-7 win over Cathedral in a defensive struggle that included a 35-minute lightning delay in the third quarter.

It was the fourth year in a row Cathedral has lost to their bitter rivals, and the third consecutive year the loss has either come in the final minutes or in overtime.

“It’s the same old thing,” Cathedral coach Craig Beesley said. “This is the third year in a row we got beat late in the game. This year it just happened to go into overtime.”

Two years ago, the Flashes overcame a 21-13 late third-quarter deficit to win 32-27 thanks to a 99-yard interception return by Brendon Beesley.

Last year, St. Al stole one away from the Wave when Ryno Martin-nez caught a touchdown pass on fourth and 10 with 17 seconds remaining in the game to give St. Al a 31-28 victory.

This year’s contest was just as dramatic and just as heartbreaking for the Green Wave.

Trailing 7-0 in the third quarter, Cathedral started its only sustained drive of the game.

Daniel Huffines put the offense on his back, rushing 13 times on the drive, including a 37-yarder that set up Cathedral at the St. Al 14-yard line.

After converting on a fourth and two, Cathedral had a first and goal from the 4, but couldn’t push it in.

Huffines was stopped for a 1-yard gain on fourth and goal from the 6.

However, after the Cathedral defense forced a punt, Huffines finally put the Wave on the scoreboard, taking the punt on a bounce at the 50 and racing down the sidelines for a touchdown to tie the score with 9:43 remaining.

Huffines finished the game as Cathedral’s only offensive threat, rushing for 66 of the team’s 82 rush yards, and passing for 31 of Cathedral’s 71 passing yards.

“We put in a new offense this week, trying to run the box, and get the ball in (Huffines’) hands as much as we could,” Beesley said. “He did a good job for us.”

St. Al had a chance to win the game in regulation, as the Flashes drove inside the Cathedral 10-yard line in the final five minutes, but running back Conner Brown fumbled and the Wave’s Cole Mann recovered to end the threat.

The failed drive was a familiar theme for the Flashes in the game. St. Al drove between the 20-yard lines all night long, but never could get in the end zone other than Brown’s 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter following an interception that set the Flashes up at the Cathedral 10.

“The defense played a very good game,” Beesley said. “We had a turnover early in the first quarter where they scored on us but that was the only score they got. We usually give up a lot of yards but when they get inside the red zone we usually clamp down pretty good.”

Cathedral got the ball first in overtime at the St. Al 10-yard line. After two runs netted four yards, Huffines faked a run and tried a jump pass that was intercepted in the end zone.

“Our Achilles heel all year has been scoring inside the red zone,” Beesley said. “We knew going into overtime having to score from the 10-yard line was going to be tough on us, so we decided to throw the pass on third down and they intercepted it.”

After taking over at the Cathedral 10, the Flashes ran two plays to set up Waring’s field goal attempt, and the senior split the uprights from 23 yards out for the win.

It was Cathedral’s fourth loss that has been by one possession.

“Four out of the six games we have lost this year have come down to the last minute of the game,” Beesley said. “We just can’t get over the hump late in the game.”

The loss basically eliminates Cathedral from postseason play, but Beesley said the team isn’t going to give up.

“We’ve got to keep our heads up,” Beesley said. “We’ve still got three games left and we’re going to give a good effort. The kids are not going to give up. We’ve been down all this year losing close games and we haven’t given up yet, and we’re not giving up now.”