Class 2A No. 1-ranked Pisgah shuts out 4A Randolph in rain-soaked slugfest
Brad Nevels | For The Sentinel
Pisgah came its matchup with 4A Randolph prepared for a fight. It got a fight, which turned out to be one-sided by the time the final bell was rung.
The Class 2A No. 1-ranked Eagles (5-0) pushed around host Randolph in a 29-0 victory in Huntsville Friday night.
Head coach Luke Pruitt said after the game he knew coming in that his team would have to run the ball and play physical in the rainy conditions.
“We prepped as much as we could for the rain. We knew we were going to have to run the football, and we were able to tonight,” said Pruitt.
Pisgah ran the ball 42 times Friday night for a total of 290 yards.
“We pride ourselves on being physical. They had safeties in the box all night. We tried to get them through the air, but we were unable to,” said Pruitt. “We put this game on the back of our offensive line, and they grounded it out once again.”
The first four possessions of the game ended with a turnover. The Pisgah defense forced two turnovers on downs, while Randolph (4-2) got a turnover on downs and picked off Pisgah quarterback Luke Gilbert midway through the quarter. The Eagles finally got on the board with 46.7 seconds in the quarter. Gilbert broke loose for a 62-yard run that set up Legion McCrary’s five-yard score.
Pisgah scored again early in the second quarter after forcing another turnover on downs. Gilbert called his own number and punched it in from four yards out. Neither team would score the rest of the quarter, and Pisgah led 14-0 at halftime.
Both teams put together long drives in the third quarter but did not come away with points. Gilbert came up a couple yards short on a fourth and three, giving Randolph the ball at the 48-yard-line. The Raiders drove down to the four-yard-line before the Eagles defense made a big stop. A false start penalty pushed Randolph back to the nine on second down. The next play, Jett Jeffery jumped a slant route and intercepted William Mitchell’s pass, returning it to the 24-yard-line.
Pisgah then put together a 12-play, 6:46 scoring drive to put the game on ice. McCrary capped off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. Gilbert put the final nail in the coffin on a 23-yard touchdown run following another Jeffery interception.
Pruitt was proud of the way his team played Friday night, and he was especially proud of his defense.
“Our defense doesn’t get down in the red zone. That’s when it gets important, and they stepped up tonight,” said Pruitt. “We’re a veteran bunch. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of snaps. We were able to get enough stops. I’m proud of our defensive line. We got home with four guys tonight, and that makes it easier on us to defend the back end.”
Pisgah’s “two-headed monster” of Gilbert and McCrary combined for 284 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Gilbert tallied 170 yards and two scores, while McCrary had 114 yards and two touchdowns, respectively.
Pisgah goes on the road again next week to take on Sand Rock Class 2A Region 7 matchup.
