There are losses, and then there are losses like Cape Girardeau Central suffered Thursday night.

The Tigers saw a 12-0 halftime lead evaporate and two golden second-half scoring opportunities go up in smoke in an 18-12 loss to Blytheville, Ark. at Houck Stadium.

Blytheville improved to 3-0. Central dropped to 1-2.

"This is a damn tough loss," Central coach Jerry Dement said. "We put ourselves in perfect position to win. We just didn't get it done."

When Cape Central was poised to take the lead inside the final two minutes, a fumble led to Blytheville's game-winning drive.

Central had driven 65 yards to the Chicks' 14-yard line, but on a second-and-four play, Aaron Wolfe was stripped of the ball at the 5 by Chick defensive end Chancy Primas, who ran it back to the Blytheville 46.

Leonard Williams, who finished with 84 yards on 11 carries, ripped off a pair of 16-yard runs, and William Peck rumbled up the middle for 17 yards to put the Chickasaws at the 5-yard line with 41 seconds left.

On third-and-five with 23 seconds left, Williams scored the game-winning touchdown on a sweep to the left side.

Central's last gasp effort ended at the Blytheville 36-yard line.

"When it comes to the second half, we mean business," said Blytheville coach Doug Quinn. "If you play as hard as we did, good things happen."

Central worked a ball control strategy to near-perfection while building a 12-0 advantage in the first half.

Quarterback Frank McGinty gave the Tigers the lead on their opening drive, faking a handoff and running six yards up the middle for a touchdown with 4:46 left in the first quarter.

The extra point failed, and Central led 6-0.

Central stretched the lead to 12-0 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Aaron Wolfe with 2:05 left in the second quarter.

The play capped an 11-play 61-yard drive on which McGinty completed four of four passes for 33 yards. The conversion pass attempt failed.

"They moved the football with those short passes in the first half," Quinn said. "We played in a hole, and we had to be fairly conservative."

The Chickasaws came out like their tailpads were on fire in the second half, however.

They moved from their own 31-yard line to the Tigers' 9-yard line on their opening drive of the second half before Peck fumbled the football, recovered by Central's DeMarco Williams at the 15.

Central went three-and-out, and after a Matt Welker's 29-yard punt, Blytheville took over at the Tigers' 39-yard line.

Six plays later, Leonard Williams scored from 7 yards out on a sweep left. The conversion pass failed, and Central's lead was 12-6 with 2:20 left in the third quarter.

After Central went three-and-out on its next possession, Blytheville drove 52 yards to tie the game.

Daddrick McNeal, a 5-foot-8, 183-pound fullback who ran for 75 yards in the game -- most of them in the second half -- scored on a 12-yard run with 9:40 left in the game.

The extra point sailed wide left by a foot, and the game was tied 12-12.

Central threatened to take the lead on the ensuing drive, which started at the Chickasaws' 29.

DeMarco Williams started it with a seven yard run, and on the second play, Emmanuel Lewis changed direction for a 23-yard run down the right side and into Blytheville territory.

Pass completions from McGinty to Chris Allen (seven receptions, 79 yards) and Jason Roddy moved the Tigers to the 16-yard line. But on the next play, Harris was stripped of the ball by defensive tackle Michael Ray.

"He was going down," Ray said, "and I just took it out of his hands."

Blytheville's drive ended with a missed 43-yard field goal with 3:59 left, giving Central another chance.

McGinty took advantage, throwing a strike to a wide-open Chris Allen on the right hashmark for a 34-yard gain to the Chicasaws' 35. A roughing-the-passer penalty put the ball at the 20.

Harris plowed six yards to the 14, but on second-and-four with 1:40 left,

"We didn't contain and tackle; that's why we lost," said DeMarco Williams, who ran for 45 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards. "We just have to put this game behind us."