West Plains has already learned the hard way this season that there can be an awfully thin line between a huge win and a heartbreaking loss.

Friday afternoon, that line was a two-point conversion.

Lubbock-Cooper Liberty scored with 46 seconds remaining and decided there was no reason to settle for overtime. The Patriots went for the win, and quarterback Cy Leach found Koleman Hendrix for the successful conversion that handed West Plains a crushing 29-28 non-district loss.

For the Wolves, it was another case of coming agonizingly close against a quality opponent.

West Plains is now 2-2, but that record doesn't tell the entire story. The Wolves opened the season with a 42-35 loss to Class 3A power Wall, and now they've lost another one-score game to an unbeaten Liberty squad that improved to 4-0.

A play here or there goes differently, and West Plains could be sitting on a couple of impressive wins.

Instead, the Wolves are left with another tough lesson from a non-district schedule designed to provide plenty of them.

West Plains refuses to go away

Things could have gotten ugly in a hurry when Liberty jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Patriots took the lead on Kaiden Joseph's 1-yard touchdown run and then struck again when Leach found Jamison Gonzalez wide open for a 60-yard score.

Rather than allowing the game to get away, West Plains answered almost immediately.

On the first snap following the kickoff, senior running back Slade Russell found an opening and exploded for an 82-yard touchdown. In a matter of seconds, the Wolves went from being in danger of falling into a big hole to being right back in the game.

West Plains' defense followed by forcing a three-and-out, and the offense went back to work. Timber Russell connected with Kelby Williams for a 33-yard gain, helping set up Paxton Chandler's 5-yard touchdown run with just over a minute remaining in the half.

Just like that, it was 14-14.

Kylan Akins then made sure it stayed that way by blocking a Liberty field goal attempt in the final seconds before halftime.

It was the type of response West Plains fans should appreciate. The Wolves took Liberty's best punch and didn't flinch.

Slade Russell keeps rolling

At this point, a 200-yard game from Slade Russell is becoming almost routine.

The West Plains senior ran for 206 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, giving him his fourth consecutive 200-yard performance to open the season.

His 82-yard touchdown was the biggest play of the first half, but Russell's impact went well beyond one highlight.

When West Plains needed to control the football and put together a potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, Russell was once again at the center of the action.

That possession eventually ended with Nate Alvarez scoring on a 20-yard reverse with 5:29 remaining, putting the Wolves ahead 28-21.

Against most teams, that might have been enough.

Liberty had one answer left.

One fourth-down play changes everything

The Patriots started their final drive at their own 28 and received a major boost from a 15-yard personal foul penalty after a late hit on Leach.

Still, West Plains had an opportunity to close the door.

With a little more than a minute remaining, Liberty faced fourth-and-four at the Wolves' 31. Stop the Patriots there and West Plains could essentially start celebrating.

Instead, Leach connected with JJ Thompson for a 30-yard gain down to the 1-yard line.

Talon Wilcox scored on the next play, cutting the West Plains lead to 28-27 with 46 seconds remaining.

Liberty didn't hesitate.

Rather than kicking the extra point and trying its luck in overtime, the Patriots went for two. Leach rolled left and found Hendrix open for the conversion and a 29-28 lead.

It was a gutsy decision, and it worked.

West Plains still had one last chance. The Wolves moved the ball to the Liberty 44 with three seconds remaining, giving Gipson Gnagy an opportunity to attempt a 62-yard field goal with the wind behind him.

The kick had the direction but not quite the distance.

Game over.

A painful loss, but not an empty one

There's no way to make a one-point loss feel good, especially when West Plains held the lead inside the final minute.

There were mistakes the Wolves will want back. The late personal foul helped Liberty on its final drive, and the fourth-down completion was the play West Plains desperately needed to prevent.

But there was also plenty to like.

The Wolves erased a 14-point deficit. They ran the football effectively. Their defense produced big plays, including turnovers and a blocked field goal. And after falling behind early against an unbeaten opponent, West Plains put itself in position to win the game in the final minutes.

That's exactly what a difficult non-district schedule is supposed to reveal.

West Plains has now been tested by Wall and Liberty and has come within one possession of beating both. Those losses will sting, but the Wolves should enter district play knowing they can stand toe-to-toe with some very good football teams.

Now comes the important part.

At some point, the close calls have to turn into wins.