Even with all the missteps and struggles, the Skaneateles football team still had a chance Friday night at Homer to get things right and steal a post-season berth. And the Lakers were close into the second half before its offense dried up at the worst possible time, leading to a 36-20 loss to the Trojans and an 0-6 mark. Homer, still looking to clinch a playoff berth, took control with a pair of first-quarter scoring drives. Logan Hall ended both of them with short touchdown runs of five and two yards, respectively. Trailing 12-0, the Lakers did not surrender. Instead, it moved into Trojan territory and, early in the second quarter, got on the board when quarterback Tom Schoener sneaked in from one yard out. Homer built the margin back to 20-7 when Hall broke loose for a 50-yard TD run, but the Lakers struck right back, moving to the Trojans’ 14-yard line before Schoener ran in again. So Skaneateles only trailed 20-14 at halftime. With improved defense and a few more scoring chances, an end to the skid seemed quite possible. But Homer had other plans. In the pivotal third quarter, the Trojans kept Skaneateles off the board and restored its margin when John Sciera threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Zach Hatfield, and a two-point pass to Demitrius Nelson made it 28-14. Hall’s fourth TD, on a two-yard run, in the fourth quarter put the game away, though Schoener would return and find Remi Depeche for a four-yard touchdown pass late in the game. Skaneateles is back home next Friday to close the regular season against archrival Marcellus at 7 p.m. The Mustangs, after a 1-2 start, have won three straight games, including Friday’s 32-6 romp over Solvay, and feature quarterback Will Fiacchi, who has thrown for 1,782 yards in six games this fall.