Zeth Malcolm celebrates with Jaylan Jackson after Jackson scored the game-tying touchdown with more than four minutes left in the game. The Tigers wound up falling to Decatur 20-17 on a last-second field goal. | Brent Maze

Fransisco Tirado hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired to give Decatur a 20-17 win, ruining Hartselle’s homecoming festivities Friday night at J.P. Cain Stadium.

Tirado’s game-winner was set up by a kickoff return by Ke’Vontea Hayes on Hartselle’s final kickoff. That was just after the Tigers tied the game up on Jaylan Jackson’s 2-yard touchdown on Jake Tiffin’s screen pass.

The Red Raiders then converted a fourth-and-1 play with 2:00 left, allowing Decatur (4-1, 3-0) the opportunity to drain the clock before Tirado’s kick.

Head coach Bob Godsey said the game was a typical game for the rivalry in recent years.

“We laid it all on the line tonight, but it came down to them just making one more play than we did,” Godsey said. “We went out there and played as hard as we could play. We’ll learn something from this and we’ll be just fine.

“This is just a typical Hartselle-Decatur game. That’s the way it has gone every year that I’ve been here.”

Godsey said he appreciated the way that his team handled adversity throughout the game, overcoming tough situations, just as the team fought back from an errant snap on a punt early in the fourth quarter.

Decatur capitalized and took a 17-10 lead on Scott Littrell’s 6-yard touchdown run with 9:23 left in the game.

Hartselle then went on a five-minute drive that covered 77 yards in 11 plays. Tiffin connected with Tobias Mitchell and freshman halfback Taylor Easterling for key first downs.

Zeth Malcolm also gave the Tigers a burst, setting the Tigers up with a first-and-goal.

Then on third-and-goal from the 2, Tiffin got the ball to Jaylan Jackson on a screen pass. It looked like Jackson would be stopped for a loss, but he fought through the Decatur defense to get to the goal line for the score.

Cody Salem added the point-after to tie the game with 4:23 left in the game.

“We did a lot of good things tonight,” Godsey said. “We’re not about moral victories around here. Somehow, this is going to make us better.

“I will say this, we didn’t get beat out there. We just lost the game.”

Decatur took advantage of a questionable presnap unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Tigers, as Littrell put Decatur up 7-0 with a 3-yard score.

Salem put Hartselle on the board late in the first half with a 37-yard field goal, cutting the advantage to 7-3 at halftime.

Lane Anders then recovered the opening kickoff of the second half at the Decatur 28 after the Red Raiders failed to field the kick. However, the Tigers couldn’t cash in after a high snap pushed Hartselle back to the Decatur 15 after being getting to the Decatur 6.

The Tigers finally took the lead late in the third quarter, as Tiffin kept the ball on a read option and raced 37 yards for a touchdown.

Decatur answered, taking advantage of a questionable pass interference penalty to tie the game at 10-10 on Tirado’s 37-yard field goal.

Decatur retook the lead following the special teams miscue early in the fourth quarter, but Hartselle refused to quit, tying the game before Tirado gave Decatur the walk-off win.