SALEM — The Salem High football team played one of its most complete games of the season at chilly Bertram Field last night.

The Witches accomplished their primary defensive objective by controlling Lynn English quarterback Tyler MacDonald, and the Salem offense, though it sputtered at times, constructed two solid scoring drives. And throughout the night, the Salem kids played with emotion.

But when you're a 1-7 football team, things don't usually go your way even in a close game. That was the case for the Witches, whose frustrating season took a turn into Heartbreak City when they barely missed a two-point conversion pass with just over a minute remaining in a 14-12 loss to the Bulldogs.

"We played a good team (English is 7-2) and we're close (to beating them)," said Salem coach Scott Connolly. "I mean, we're right there. We're inches away."

The coach meant it literally as well as figuratively.

Salem quarterback Brad Skeffington (16 carries, 97 yards) slipped into the end zone from a yard out on a fourth down play with 1:07 remaining to slice Lynn English's lead to 14-12.

Now it came down to calling the right play for the two points that would've tied the game. Operating out of the shotgun, Skeffington took a step forward with the ball, then gunned a pass to Antonio Reyes, who was open in the end zone. But Lynn English's Melvin Taveres jumped into the path of the pass at the last instant and tipped it just out of the reach of a diving Reyes.

"That's like a Tim Tebow play for us," said Connolly, referring to the University of Florida quarterback who is particularly adept at faking a run up the middle and throwing a short pass. "It looked good all the way, but No. 9 (Taveres) got his hand in there somehow. That was a heck of an athletic play on his part, but Reyes almost came up with it anyway."

Salem displayed its toughness in this one, extending the Bulldogs to the limit.

Lynn English grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Jermaine Patterson's 3-yard scoring run and Cory Burt's PAT kick, but the Witches climbed back into it in the third period when Skeffington went in from 5 yards out. However, Salem missed the extra point, so it was 7-6 heading into the fourth.

Patterson, a 6-foot, 250-pound bruiser who led the Bulldogs with 82 yards on 15 carries, bulled his way 16 yards for a touchdown and Burt added the extra point for a 14-6 lead with 7:21 remaining.

Salem took over with 3:00 left and marched 46 yards for the score that narrowed it 14-12. The Witches had to overcome a 15-yard penalty (chop block) on the drive, with Skeffington making up for the miscue with a sensational 39-yard run that pushed the ball to the Bulldogs' 1-yard line. It took Salem four plays to knock it home, but Skeffington finally did it when he rolled right and strolled in.

The player that the Witches were most concerned about, MacDonald, really didn't do much damage. MacDonald carried 21 times for 47 yards and was 1 for 10 passing for 13 yards with two interceptions.

"We wanted to bottle him up," Connolly said of MacDonald, "because he can hurt you with his feet and he has a big arm. Our defense did a great job not giving up a big play and our offense played very well."

But the Witches still came up short and this one had to hurt because they were breathing down Lynn English's neck from start to finish.

"We played our hearts out," said Salem's Josh Sanchez, who was one of many standouts on defense. "We played well on both sides of the ball, but we didn't get what we deserved."

With Dave Kendrick (injured) still out of the lineup for the Witches, Skeffington and Max Feeley (15 attempts, 50 yards) did the bulk of the ballcarrying.

Skeffington was 5 for 16 passing for 82 yards. Reyes made two receptions for 44 yards.

Salem is at home again next Friday night (7 p.m.) in a Northeastern Conference contest against Revere.