Paris just exited the toughest part in its schedule.

The Coyotes lost their third straight game with a 44-16 loss at Lincoln (4-1). They have played three straight teams not only with winning records but with two combined losses.

Head coach Cody Carney said Paris (4-3) struggled in a similar way it did last week, and that makes it difficult to beat the high-quality teams it has been seeing. The Coyotes lost a fumble on their first drive and then had a bad snap on an ensuing drive.

“We had a tough go early on getting started,” Carney said. “We had some turnovers early. They got up 22-0, and they were moving the ball pretty well against our defense.”

Carney said Paris scored on its third drive to make it 22-8 but still had to deal with Lincoln’s offensive line. After facing two of the best running offenses in North Shelby and Knox County, Carney said Lincoln’s stood out.

“It may have been the best offensive line we’ve seen all year,” Carney said.

After trailing 36-8 at halftime, Carney said Paris played like it could by matching Lincoln’s eight points in the second half. The Coyotes scored on their first drive in the second half and stalled in their other drives around the 20-yard line.

Lincoln is having a good season in its first season back with 8-man football after several years as an 11-man program, according to Carney. He said Paris has to “trust the process” after these string of losses and believe it will be the team it has been at 7 p.m. today at home against Slater with Malta Bend (1-6).

“We were just inches on everything,” Carney said. “We were an inch off here or there on catching some passes and making some stops on them. We had their guys in our arms a couple times, but then next thing you know, that guy is scoring a touchdown.”