Faith Christian’s Robert Jackson did everything but sell drinks at the concession stand, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 44-34 loss to CrossPointe Academy in ICSGA South 8-man football Friday at Skipstone Academy’s Warrior Field.

Jackson rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another but the first-place Cavaliers (6-1 overall, 4-0 region) dropped the Lions (3-4, 2-2 South) to third place.

He wasn’t the only player on the field with four touchdowns in the game. CrossPointe quarterback Nathan Hosch also ran for four TDs in the contest.

“This is a sweet victory,” said CrossPointe head coach Wally Wetherbee. “We knew that Faith Christian would play their best game against us since we’re their arch rivals.”

FCA fought extremely hard despite playing without several players, including senior Willie Kennedy. CrossPointe never led by more than eight points until late in the game. The Lions laid big hits on Cavs all afternoon. Jackson led the hit parade on defense, registering 17 tackles and a fumble recovery.

“We hit hard, played tough and all that, but when you only have 11 players, by the fourth quarter there’s nothing left,” said Lions head coach Nelson Grist.

CrossPointe scored first on a 1-yard TD run by Hosch and subsequent two-point conversion. Jackson answered with a short TD run and conversion to tie it at 8-all. Robert Roethel gave the Cavs the lead again on a short TD run for the 16-8 lead, but Jackson answered to cut the lead to 16-14 after an unsuccessful conversion.

Hosch’s 3-yard TD run looked to give the Cavs serious momentum at 22-14 with 1:34 left in the half. But FCA fought back quickly, with Jackson throwing a 41-yard TD pass to his brother Brandon Ray with 1:09 left. Ray, playing in his first game of the year, scored the ensuring 2 points to tie the game at 22 at halftime.

Jackson’s 39-yard TD run on the first play of the third quarter gave FCA its only lead of the game at 28-22.

CrossPointe scored the next 14 points on TDs from Hosch and Roethel, retaking the lead at 36-28. Jackson’s last TD got FCA within two, 36-34, with 11:09 remaining in the game, but Hosch’s final TD put the game away at 44-34.