CANTON — Carson High School’s Cougars fought hard but fell to Pisgah, 20-13, Friday night in the opening round of the state 3A football playoffs.

The Black Bears, the No. 2 seed in the West, improved to 11-1. Carson, No. 7 in the Midwest, ends its season at 4-8.

Pisgah took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a one-yard plunge by quarterback Tanner Wike at the 7:27 mark, and a 32-yard field goal from kicker Tanner Fox at 3:49.

Coach Joe Pinyan’s Cougars got on the scoreboard in the second period, just 1:18 before halftime. Quarterback Owen White connected on a 26-yard scoring pass to receiver Brendan Westbrook.

Fox added another field goal with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter, this one from 36 yards out.

In the final period, Pisgah took a commanding 20-7 lead at the 11:50 mark, with Wike found running back Justin Davis on an 11-yard scoring pass.

Later in the quarter, White scored on a 2-yard run, but just 2:18 remained in the game. The extra point kick failed.

Pisgah had a balanced attack on offense, as backs Davis and Michael Parrott combined for 176 yards. Parrott was the leading rusher with 126 yards on 24 carries while Davis picked up 50 yards on 10 attempts.

Wike completed 13 of 21 passes for 147 yards, including a touchdown and an interception.