BLACKFOOT - So close, yet so far.

Century got the ball down to the Blackfoot 1-yard line, and it seemed like the upset was possible. But the Diamondbacks turned the football over, and with that mistake went their chance to beat one of the best 4A teams in the state. Instead, Century ended up with a 20-15 loss to the Broncos at Blackfoot.

"We had a couple missed opportunities," Century coach Nate Borchert said in a radio interview. "They kept battling, and you've got to be proud of that."

The play that set up the chance for the Diamondbacks was a deep pass from quarterback Michael Semons to Ty Ravsten, whose 48-yard catch put Century (3-2) just three feet away from the lead. But the Diamondbacks then lost the ball on a fumble, allowing Blackfoot (5-0) to preserve its lead and remain undefeated. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks left Blackfoot with the knowledge that they can play with the best the Gem State has to offer.

"We had opportunities to really ice the game in the third quarter, and we didn't do it," Blackfoot coach Stan Buck told the Post Register. "They kept hanging around. They had opportunities to beat us tonight, there's no doubt about that."

Now, Century's next challenge is to figure out how to not just play with opponents like Blackfoot, but beat them. That challenge begins next week in a de facto playoff game at district rival Preston. Although the Indians come in with a 1-5 record, the victory came on Thursday night at Minico, an 18-9 win over the Spartans.

When coupled with the fact that this game literally is Preston's season, because a loss would eliminate the Indians from playoff contention, it's clear that the Diamondbacks will have to match Preston's intensity level if they want another chance to defeat Blackfoot later this year.