RIMERSBURG — After Clarion-Limestone pushed ahead of Union 16-8 with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter Friday, the Golden Knights needed a spark.

Running back Zack Traister provided it on the ensuing kickoff, returning the ball 80 yards for a touchdown.

Or so it appeared. Offsetting holding penalties forced a rekick and Union couldn't gain enough momentum to overcome the eight-point deficit and lost 16-14.

Coach Al Pryor wasn't too upset about the call.

"It's football," Pryor said. "We had a lot of chances but couldn't put points on the board."

Union initially took the lead behind Traister's strong rushing.

After Mike Harris recovered a Clarion-Limestone fumble on the Golden Knights 44, Union took two plays to get on the board when Traister darted to the left side of the field and managed to go 46 yards for a touchdown.

"Traister is one of the top players in the league," Lions coach Todd Smith said. "A lot of the time we had guys there, but he was making something out of nothing."

But the Knights' joy didn't last. C-L started its next possession at midfield, allowing quarterback Dan Miller to work with a short field.

Miller hit wide receiver Zach Kemmer for 30 yards before finding Jace Rhodes for a 4-yard touchdown.

With 7:39 remaining in the first quarter, it looked like the game might turn into a shootout.

But both defenses stiffened. Traister, who ran for 108 yards in the first quarter, was held to 26 for the rest of the game.

"(Traister) plays hard on every play and that takes a lot out of him," Pryor said. "He's a racehorse, not a Clydesdale. C-L also did a good job of making adjustments to stop him."

The Lions managed to take control behind Miller in the third quarter. Rhoads returned a punt to the Union 30-yard line and Miller led a 7-play drive before hooking up with Rhodes for a 15-yard touchdown pass, giving the Lions a 16-8 lead.

Miller wound up leading the Lions in rushing and intercepted a pass.

"I underestimated him as a runner," Pryor said. "He's much faster and a better athlete in person than what I saw on film."

The Knights had an opportunity to get back in the game, but they couldn't capitalize on the Lions' mistakes.

The Lions fumbled six times, but Union recovered only one.

After the Knights scored a touchdown with 2:21 remaining, they had a chance to get the ball back.

But Miller hooked up with Rhodes on second down and the Lions were able to run out the clock.

With the loss, Union was eliminated from playoff contention.