AMERICUS — The playoff hopes of the Americus-Sumter Panthers took a big hit Friday night.

Upson Lee had three chances at making a late field goal, and the Knights made the Panthers pay for it, going on for a 16-14 win.

“We just didn’t play very well in the first half,” said Panthers coach Mark Wilson. “We had stuff open all night, but we either couldn’t hit it or catch it. I’d never seen so many people wide open.”

The Panthers (2-4, 1-3 in 1-AAAA) completed 8 of 33 passes in the game for 126 yards. Antavius Sims was 4 of 19 for 83 yards, and Shawn Robinson completed 4 of 14 passes for 43 yards.

Upson-Lee (1-5, 1-3) 13-7 when it missed two of three tries at a field goal in the fourth quarter in the same sequence. The first was nullified with a false start and the second miss came with a Panther running into the kicker penalty.

The Knights made the third try from 35 yards out, putting the game just out of reach.

“That was a tough one,” said Wilson. “That was big in the game because we went down and scored. We got going there pretty good in the second half, but it was just a sophomore of being overanxious.”

Upson-Lee led 7-0 at the half and 13-0 entering the fourth quarter before the Americus-Sumter offense finally went to work. The Panthers’ first scoring drive was capped by a Sims 1-yard run with 10 minutes left in the game.

Trailing 16-7 and facing a fourth-and-10 at their own 31, Zavien Williams took a swing pass for 18 yards and a Panthers first down. They eventually scored with Sims second touchdown of the game, a 9-yard run.

Williams had three catches for 69 yards, and Jesse Milledge caught three for 31 yards. Keon Wiggins was held to one catch for six yards.

The Panthers rushed for 95 yards, led by Sims’ 72 on 12 carries.

Upson-Lee ate up the Panther defense, rushing for 271 yards on 57 attempts. Wilson said the past two losses have come from opponents being stronger.

“We don’t have everyone in weight training,” he said. “(Upson-Lee) has 70 kids and they have all 70 in weight training. We have 70, and we only have 22 in weight training. That’s the reason we’ve gotten beat.

“It’s scheduling. In order to be good , you’ve got to lift year around and be committed to doing it. We’re told we can’t do that. They say it’s not possible to have everyone in weight training. Hopefully we can get that changed.”

The Panthers can’t afford another loss because one more will eliminate them from playoff contention. They still have dates with Bainbridge and the No. 1 team in Class 4A in Westside Macon.