Tennessee football recruit Donovan Higgins has 2 TD catches as Pearl-Cohn tops MBA

Pearl-Cohn junior wide receiver Donovan Higgins already has offers from Tennessee football and Vanderbilt and is sure to get plenty more if he continues to perform as he did in the Firebirds’ 21-14 win Friday night over host Montgomery Bell Academy.

Higgins had two catches, both for touchdowns, helping Pearl-Cohn (1-0) avenge last season’s 49-6 loss to the Big Red (0-1).

Higgins, who scored on 72- and 23-yard catches, is one of three deep threats featured in Pearl-Cohn’s offense. The other two wide receivers − D’Arious Reed (six catches, 59 yards) and Javion Kinnard (two catches, 46 yards) − also played well.

But it was Higgins who came up with the big plays, which proved to be enough to hold off MBA, which tried to rally late by moving the ball to the Pearl-Cohn 15 before turning it over on downs with 14 seconds left in the game.

“I wasn’t expecting two touchdowns in the first game for me,” Higgins said. “After that first touchdown that I caught (23 yards) my confidence was boosted. Then on that second touchdown I ran and I couldn’t see my quarterback and all of a sudden I saw the ball in the air and I went full speed and caught it and took to the crib.”

Higgins first touchdown came with 1:38 left in the first half and gave the Firebirds their first lead at 14-7. His second came six minutes later early in the third quarter and gave the Firebirds a 21-7 cushion.

Senior quarterback Keshawn Tarleton said he has seen improvement from Higgins since he earned a starting assignment last season.

“Don has come along by learning to trust in himself,” Tarleton said. “He’s just gotten more confident every game. We saw it game-by-game last season and you saw it tonight. His confidence has continued to grow since last year.”

Higgins nearly had a third touchdown. He got behind the MBA secondary midway through the third quarter and Tarleton tossed a nice pass his way at midfield but Higgins couldn’t hold on to it.

“I was disappointed because that would’ve been another touchdown,” Higgins said. “But we held on and won so it’s OK.”

Higgins showed off his speed last spring by winning the TSSAA Class A decathlon. Pearl-Cohn coach Tony Brunetti said participating in track has helped Higgins become a better football player.

“Donovan has an extra gear,” Brunetti said. “Track has really helped him the last two years. He won the state decathlon and won nine events in that. That translates in football games. He’s got another gear. He got open by using that gear when we needed him to tonight.”

Tarleton completed 11 of 16 passes for 216 yards and the two touchdowns.

MBA senior quarterback H McIllwain, who replaced four-year starter Marcel Reed, completed 19 of 29 passes for 198 yards. He was, however, intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

Sophomore quarterback Hugh Price also saw some action for the Big Red throughout the game. His only pass was incomplete and he rushed twice for 11 yards.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.