Pisgah builds quick lead en route to convincing first-round win
Story By Jason Bowen
Pisgah defeated Tanner and the weather during its opening-round playoff game.
The No. 3-ranked Eagles stormed out to a 42-0 halftime lead and were able to rest their starters during a rain-soaked second half in an eventual 42-14 Class 2A first-round playoff victory over visiting Tanner at Pisgah High School’s Sam Kenimer Stadium Friday night.
“This time of year, you just want to wake up on Saturday still playing,” said Pisgah head coach Adam Gilbert. “Proud of them. They came out and took care of business. It’s playoff time, so anytime you get a win and get your starters out at halftime, it’s a big deal.”
Pisgah (9-2) will host No. 8 Vincent in a second-round matchup next Friday. Vincent (9-2) defeated Falkville 34-6 in an opening-round game on Thursday.
Gilbert and his coaching staff preached “starting fast” against the Rattlers, and Pisgah could not have started any faster. Landon Watkins returned the opening kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown — it was the senior’s sixth kickoff return for a touchdown this season — to give Pisgah the lead just 13 seconds into the game, and Caleb Jenkins ran for the two-point conversion for an 8-0 Eagles’ advantage.
“We knew starting fast would be the key. They’ve got speed and athletes. We wanted to kind of take away any hope they had early. One of the best things we’ve done is start fast this season. It’s been big for us and will be big going forward. We preach that daily and they executed it,” Gilbert said. “(Watkins) is a catalyst. When he gets going early, it just opens up everything.”
Pisgah then got touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards and a two-point conversion (Cutter Mays’ pass to Watkins) to take a 22-0 lead after one quarter, and Jeffery scored again on a 6-yard touchdown run with 7:38 left in the second quarter.
One play after Jenkins returned an interception 31 yards, he caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Mays to up the Eagles’ lead to 34-0. Mays then found Jenkins in the end zone from 22 yards out and Mason Gass ran for the two-point conversion to give Pisgah a 42-0 lead with 1:22 left in the first half.
Pisgah finished the first half with 270 total yards while the PHS defense held Tanner (3-8) to only 23 total yards in the opening half, including minus 2 yards rushing.
“In the playoffs, you’ve got to run the ball and stop the run,” Gilbert said. “Defensively, they’ve bought into what coach (Joey) Kirby and coach (Davey) Arnold are selling.”
Mays finished 9-of-11 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns while Jenkins caught five passes for 88 yards and two scores, Watkins had three catches for 80 yards and Cape Duncan had one catch for 10 yards while Jeffery ran for 58 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries.
Tanner avoided the shutout with a long touchdown pass late in the third quarter and a rushing touchdown late in the fourth.
