Newspaper Page Text
Page IB - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Pirates football
finishes fifth in region
PHOTO BY TOMMY POLNASZEK / VIVID MOMENTS PHOTO
Senior Trenton Lackey prepares to make a tackle earlier this
season. The Pirates played against a tough team Friday as they
faced the defending Region 2-AAA champions on the road. The
Pirates finished the season fifth in a tough 2-AAA region.
PCHS PLIERS OF THE WEEK
November 5 th vs. Crisp Co. Cougars
This past Friday night
in Cordele, the Pike
County Pirates football
team got to square off
with the Region 2-AAA
champions, the Crisp
County Cougars. This
game was a microcosm
of the 2021 season for
the Pirates. The Pirates
played their tough, gritty
style of football, but it
was not enough to match
the high-flying Cougars
from Cordele. Here is
how the game unfolded
on a cold, damp Friday
night in South Georgia.
Pike County received
the opening kick-off look
ing to get on the board
first, and that is just what
happened. The Pirates
took the opening kick-off
and ran three plays and
gained six yards. Look
ing at fourth and four at
their own 41-yard line,
the Pirates went with a
fake punt. Jakilen King
took the fake 27 yards
for a first down. The play
extended the drive and
it led to a 35-yard Ozzie
O’Steen field goal and a
3-0 Pirate lead. The Pi
rates defense got a huge
three and out, and after a
punt, the Pirates offense
was back on the field.
Facing a fourth and one
at their own 29-yard line,
the Pirates opted to go
for it. The quarterback
sneak by Gage Lee was
successful, but the ball
was ruled to have been
fumbled. The Cougars
took over at the Pirates’
31 yard line and scored
five plays later to take a
7-3 advantage.
On the ensuing drive,
disaster struck for the
Pirates on the first play
as Jake Gilpin was hit at
the mesh point, creat
ing another fumble.
The Cougars wasted no
time in capitalizing once
again. After a false start
on the first play pushed
the Cougars back, the
next play resulted in a
touchdown and a 14-3
Cougar lead. The Pirates
offense continued to hold
the ball and have some
success moving it in the
second quarter. Penalties
and missed opportuni
ties haunted the Pirates
throughout the score
less quarter. The Pirates
defense was able to keep
the Cougar offense off
balance in the second
quarter. Switching fronts,
personnel, blitzing, drop
ping into coverage and
making excellent plays all
around kept the Pirates
in the game. A late sec
ond quarter touchdown
for the Cougar offense
got the score to 21-3 at
the half.
The third quarter was a
nightmare for the Pirates.
If it could go wrong, it did
go wrong. An on-side kick
attempt that came up a
half yard short. A tipped
pass that was intercepted
and returned for a TD.
Just myriad of events that
put the Pirates in a hole
from which they could
never recover. The Pirates
offense was able to find
the end zone twice in the
fourth quarter on runs
of one and 55 yards for
Gage Lee, bringing the
final score to 49-17 Crisp
County.
The Pirates offense
was paced by King with
167 total yards (142 rush
ing, 25 return) and Lee
with 72 yards on seven
carries and two touch
downs. Crisp improves
to 7-3 with the victory,
and will host round one
of the AAA Play-offs next
Friday night. The loss
dropped the Pirates to
3-7 overall, and 2-5 in
Region 2-AAA action. The
Pirates will close out the
2021 campaign with a
fifth place finish in the
region that will be one of
the toughest play-off outs
in AAA football.
#77 Brayden Pilkenton
5 tackles, 4 TFL's, 1 Sack
#30 Jakilen King
27 Rushes, 142 Yards, 25
Return Yards, 167 Total Yards
Special Teams Player
#45 Ozzie O’Steen
35 Yard FG
Cindy’s Florist
Cindy Hurd, Owner
595 Griffin Street • Zebulon*
r
770-567-5353
Letters To Santa Wanted
Santa’s helpers at the Pike County Journal Reporter want to make sure
your letters get to the North Pole before Christmas.
Letters may be mailed to:
P.0. Box 789, Zebulon, GA 30295,
dropped off at our office on the square in Zebulon or
emailed to news@pikecountygeorgia.com.
Letters will be published in the Wednesday, December 22 edition.
Deadline for letters is 5 p.m., Friday, December 3.
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