Pirates find their footing in season opener with a 35-6 win over Sequatchie County Indians – Marion County News

South Pittsburg, Tenn. – The Pirate Nation was handled to a house opener victory by the South Pittsburg Pirates Friday night time with a 35-6 win over the visiting Indians from Sequatchie County. Whereas the play wasn’t all the time picture-perfect within the inaugural outing, the Pirates grew to become extra comfy on the sector as the sport progressed.

The Indians gained the coin toss and opted to obtain. They’d achieve about 85 yards on their first possession on the expense of

Jayden Mount remained a constant contributor for the Pirates all through the matchup. – Marion County Information

Pirate penalties. Regardless of that super profit, the Pirates had been nonetheless in a position to maintain the road and maintain the Indians out of the top zone. The Pirates would come again down the sector on a collection of Jayden Mount and Kam Wellington runs. A how-did-he-make-that-catch second from Racash Kelly, Wellington would make a fifteen-yard sprint on the finish of the collection to place the Pirates up by a landing, and a Jacob Bivens level after would give the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 8:54 left within the first quarter.

The Pirates would drive the possession change deep of their aspect of the sector from Sequatchie holding a fourth down on their 21-yard line. A gap play on the next possession noticed Mount’s 30-yard dashing achieve erased by yet one more flag towards the Pirates. Getting back from that saved the Pirates inching alongside however protecting the drive alive. On third and 5, Kelly would flip the skin nook and, by way of a herculean effort, straight-arm and energy his manner by way of three defenders, all whereas dancing inches from the sideline to get the Pirates a brand new set of downs. A cross interference name towards the Indians would advance the Pirates to the Indians’ 36-yard line. The Pirates would drive to the crimson zone simply in time for the primary quarter to finish. Sadly, the daybreak of the second quarter proved the fates weren’t with the Pirates because the Indians held the Pirates, and the Pirates had been pressured to aim an unsuccessful area aim however nonetheless held the 7-0 lead.

Racash Kelly posted some huge offensive numbers for the Pirates – Marion County Information

The Indians would crawl downfield, getting simply sufficient yardage to maintain the drive alive however would additionally chew up two and a half minutes of the clock solely to get to the 32-yard line dealing with a 4th and seven impediment. With a colossal play, the Indians would soar all the way down to the Pirates’ 2 yard line and in the end rating a landing proper on the 4 minute mark of the second quarter. An unsuccessful 2-point conversion effort left the Pirates with the slenderest of leads, 7-6. On the backs of a Racash Kelly reception and a 20-plus yard dashing achieve by Mount, the Pirates had been on the Indians’ 23 yard line with nonetheless two-and-a-half minutes left within the half. The Indians put up a valiant protection, however with lower than 10 seconds left within the first half, Nas Starkey would pull down a reception and break the aircraft of the top zone. That and one other Bivens’ level after would put the Pirates up 14-6 going into halftime.

The second half illuminated what was taking place in the direction of the top of the primary half as Riley Hammond, Dez McNeil, Rayne Tipton, and Logan Hargis would notch a number of solo tackles and help on many extra. Because the rating displays, that was important in protecting the Indians quiet on the scoreboard for the final 28

Nas Starkey is ready to pull down the reception over the alternative shoulder and nonetheless maintain sufficient footing to return down in the long run zone – Marion County Information

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minutes of gameplay. The Pirates would patiently chow up about 4 minutes of recreation clock within the third earlier than scoring a landing for the Pirates to take a 21-6 lead midway by way of the third quarter. The Pirates would maintain and get possession again earlier than the top of the third, and a Taja Robinson dashing landing capped off the collection to take a 28-6 lead with lower than two minutes left within the third.

By the fourth quarter, the Pirate protection was beginning to exhibit its infamous swarming tackles, and the Indians didn’t appear to have an answer. The Pirates would begin scuffling with leg cramps because the fourth quarter went alongside however arguably had the scariest second when the Indians had been known as for, basically, spearing on Pirate quarterback Kam Wellington. Wellington stayed down for a bit bit however would stroll off the sector below his personal energy. As Head Coach Wes Stone would say shouldn’t shock followers; Jayden Mount got here in and picked up the place Wellington left off below heart and would in the end put the ball in the long run zone one closing time with lower than a minute to go within the recreation for the ultimate 35-6.

Following the sport, Pirate Head Coach Wes Stone mentioned, “We knew what sort of recreation it was going to be. They’re a well-coached soccer staff. They’re huge, they’re bodily, and so they’ve obtained a terrific quarterback…the child is hard as nails.” Stone painted an analogous story between the 2 applications as nicely. “They’re nonetheless a younger staff like us. I feel they’ve obtained ten or eleven seniors, sort of like we do. They’ve obtained some Seniors that play key roles for them, and I’ve informed our gamers all week what to anticipate as a result of everytime we play Sequatchie, it’s by no means straightforward. It was thirty-five to 6, however it didn’t really feel like a thirty-five to 6 recreation. We solely had possession 5 instances throughout your entire recreation. They’re simply methodical, and we had been in a position to shore up some early errors. Finally, our protection was good tonight, they allowed some performs, however then they bent however didn’t break. So I used to be pleased with them.”