A late breakdown cost the Austin football team in a 27-20 loss to Albert Lea in Art Hass Stadium Friday.

The Tigers (2-5 overall, 1-5 Big Nine) broke a 20-20 tie with three seconds left in the contest when Cody Hansen found Aaron Klatt in the end zone on and out-and-up route for a 25-yard score. Klatt shook off the Austin coverage by faking his route to the sideline and turning upfield.

Albert Lea converted the score after recovering a high snap by the Packers at the Austin 39 yard-line with 33 seconds left in the game. The Packers had five missed snaps on the night — including two that led to turnovers.

Austin had hoped to score on its last drive.

“We had to wait and see how it was gonna turn out. We had a couple of plays that we wanted to try, but we really didn’t get any kind of a snap to get them tried,” Austin head coach Tim Hermann said. “We would’ve like to have scored, but we didn’t get a chance to use our plays.”

Austin started the drive from Albert Lea’s 36-yard line after a Tiger fumble, but the last snap over T.J. Fritz’s head sealed Austin’s fate.

“(Snapping is) never a problem in practice but it became a problem in the game. We tried two people tonight and we’ll try some more,” Hermann said.

The Packers tied the game at 20 when Marcus Gunderson caught a five-yard slant pass from Fritz for a touch down with 8:54 left in the game.

On that drive, Austin (2-5 overall, 1-5 Big Nine) converted a fourth and three on an offside penalty by Albert Lea and the Packers also got out of what would’ve been a fourth and goal from the 19-yard line when Albert Lea was called for roughing the passer.

The Tigers took a 14-6 lead to halftime, but Fritz opened the second half with a 61-yard run where he cut back up to the middle on what looked like a designed option play.

“We know that (Fritz) can run and we try to do that occasionally,” Hermann said. “But when their loading up inside we have to throw the football and we have to do that better and we have to protect better.”

Albert Lea took a 20-14 lead when Hector Rivera capped a nine-play, 82 yard drive with an eight-yard scoring run in the third quarter.

The game was tied at 6 with just over three minutes left in the game when the Packers lost a snap on their own 37 yard line on a first down play. Albert Lea took control and drove 37 yards on nine plays to set up a four-yard TD pass from Cody Hansen to Jordan Holland on a rollout with 12 seconds left in the first half.

Austin had the first score of the game after a shanked punt by Albert Lea. Austin drove 20 yards on four plays to score on a three-yard pass from Fritz to Gibson on third and goal.

The Packers have now lost three straight games to Albert Lea and it was in a frustrating fashion Wednesday night.

“There’s not much to say when you get beat like this. They played better than we did and we made some crucial errors. Tonight they made the plays and we didn’t and that ultimately is my fault as a coach,” Hermann said. “We didn’t put the kids in the right spots to make plays.”

Fifth-seeded Austin will play at No. 4 New Prague (3-5 overall) when the Section 1AAAA football tournament starts Oct. 21.

STATS

Austin rushing: Jerrad Ryks, 17-for-65; T.J. Fritz, 10-for-50, TD

Austin passing: T.J. Fritz, 9-for-14, 52 yards, 2 TD, INT

Austin receiving: John Maxfield, 6-for-32; Marcus Gunderson, 2-for-13; Jaamal Gibson, 2-for-12

Sacks: Tyler Bentzin (2)

Albert Lea rushing: Hector Rivera, 27-for-101, TD; Cody Hansen, 11-for-69; Colton Zuniga, 6-for-22, TD; Jordan Holland, 2-for-8

Albert Lea passing: Hansen, 9-for-11, 130, 2 TD

Albert Lea receiving: Aaron Klatt, 5-for-92, TD; Jordan Holland, 2-for-18, TD; Trevor Rasmussen, 2-for-20

Penalties: 6-for-45

Interceptions: Tyler Haaland

Austin 6 0 8 6 — 20

Albert Lea 0 14 6 7 — 27

First quarter

(A) 7:54 Fritz 3 pass to Gibson (Mueller kick failed) 4 plays, 20 yards

Second quarter

(AL) 11:55 Colton Zuniga 3 run (kick failed) 15 plays, 17 yards

(AL) :12 Cody Hansen 4 pass to Jordan Holland (Rivera run) 9 plays, 37 yards

Third quarter

(A) 10:17 Fritz 61 yard run (Fritz to Maxfield) 3 plays, 70 yards

(AL) 6:01 Hector Rivera 8 run (run failed) 9 plays, 82 yards

Fourth quarter

(A) 8:54 Marcus Gunderson 5 pass to Fritz (kick failed) 9 plays, 64 yards

(AL) :3.6 Aaron Klatt 25 pass from Hansen (Jordan Cooper kick), 4 plays, 39 yards