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Pewitt running back KD Watson searches for room on a carry during Friday’s game. The Brahmas will open district play at home against Hooks Friday. -
Pewitt cheerleaders present a banner in honor of injured Troup Tiger Cooper Reid to the Troup contingent immediately following Friday’s game. TRIBUNE PHOTOS / QUINTEN BOYD
It was a defensive slugfest in one half, an offensive fireworks show in the second. One team looking for its first win after facing what’s been a gauntlet in the early season run, one team playing with heavy hearts for injured teammate Cooper Reid.
In the end, the possible playoff preview was an interesting gauge of what could be for two teams looking to claim district titles in their respective districts.
Troup spoiled Pewitt’s Homecoming festivities — but they had to work to do it. After the game, the Tigers and their contingent knew it.
“There are things we need to work on, but a win at Paul Pewitt is a win at Paul Pewitt,” one Tiger assistant coach said. “Those are definitely not easy to come by.”
The two teams combined for 116 points, 1,155 yards of total offense, six turnovers, 123 penalty yards, several heart-stopping moments — and a barnburner of a game as the Tigers used a hook-and-lateral with under a minute left to take the lead and held on for a wild 6056 win over the Brahmas.
The final score is all the more surprising when it’s revealed that the two teams were tied 14-14 at halftime. An eight-yard touchdown by Kevin Pierce in the first quarter after a Brahma fumble and a 75-yard kick return from Trae Davis near the end of the second quarter were Troup’s first half scores. A 16-yard scoring run from James Byrd and a six-yard run by Kei’drick Hawkins constituted Pewitt’s scoring.
From there, the two teams made it to the fireworks factory.
Pierce scored two plays into the second half after breaking a 49-yard gain, then finishing the job from five yards out to make it 20-14.
Champ Bailey returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards, then Byrd needed just three plays to score, covering the final 57 yards and ending the drive with a two-yard plunge. Hayden Green added the two-point conversion to make it 22-20.
A 41-yard pass from Grayson Hearon to Davis put Troup in scoring position again and Pierce finished the drive with a two-yard plunge. Hearon then connected with Colby Turner for the two-point conversion to give Troup the lead back.
Penalties stymied the Brahmas’ next drive, which ended with a fumble recovered by the Tigers’ Quintin Taylor. Hearon hit Davis for a 43-yard touchdown pass to extend Troup’s lead to 34-22.
Pewitt answered on the next offensive play when Isaac Hodges sped through the heart of the Tiger defense for a 57-yard touchdown. The Brahmas struck again off a gutsy play from defensive lineman KC Watson, who jumped to intercept a Hearon pass, then broke three tackles on his way for the 33-yard pick-six.
The fourth quarter merely resumed the insanity. Hearon hit Davis from 41 yards to start the frame, then Pierce scored again from 24-yards out.
Pewitt again answered in one play when Green broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown, then added the twopoint conversion to make it 42-40, Brahmas.
The Brahma defense then forced a punt and the offense made it pay off with a 37-yard touchdown run by Jasean Cato to give Pewitt an eight-point lead.
A face mask penalty again hurt the Brahmas and Pierce made Pewitt pay with a 38-yard score. However, Pewitt struck back on the conversion attempt when JD Smith batted, then intercepted a Pierce pass and returned it 97 yards for two points for the Brahmas.
It was Troup’s defense that stepped up next, forcing a punt. The Tiger offense then struck when Hearon found a streaking Davis for an 82-yard strike to give Troup a 53-50 lead.
It looked as though the Tiger defense had finally found the stop both teams had been looking for the entire second half after two penalties and timely tackling put the Brahmas in a fourth and 22 hole.
Brahma freshman running back KD Watson then broke off a run that had Pewitt fans channeling Georgia play-by-play announcer Larry Munson from Sept. 6, 1980 describing Herschel Walker’s run over Bill Bates against the University of Tennessee: “My God, a freshman!”
KD Watson took the handoff on fourth and 22, initially looking down the field for a pass. When the Tiger defense started to close in, Watson stopped and cut back. The Tigers had multiple tacklers with hands on him twice, but Watson refused to go down, breaking tackles and escaping for a 54-yard touchdown to give Pewitt the lead back with 1:05 left in the game.
Unfortunately, the Tiger trio who had done most of the damage to that point had one more trick up their sleeve. Hearon threw a 20-yard pass to Davis who flipped the ball to a hard-charging Pierce, escaping two tackle attempts for a touchdown with 49 seconds left to give Troup the lead once again.
The Brahmas were able to reach midfield, but Davis picked off a last-second pass to end a wild game.
Pewitt ran for 595 yards in the game. Green finished with 21 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown. Byrd rushed for 140 yards and two scores on 12 carries. KC Watson added 85 yards and a touchdown and Hodges rushed for 78 yards and a score. Hawkins added 56 yards and a touchdown and Cato finished with 46 yards and a score. Bailey added 121 yards on three kickoff returns.
Green added a 24-yard pass to Bradley Mines. Defensively, Cato, Smith and KC Watson all snagged interceptions. Cato also had a fumble recovery Hodges and Bralyn Nix both had five tackles.
For Troup, Hearon went 11-19 for 321 yards and three touchdowns – all to Davis, who finished with 238 yards receiving. Pierce ran for 224 yards and five touchdowns.
The Brahmas will look to bounce back after the tough loss with their district opener at home against Hooks. The Hornets are 2-2 on the year, defeating Harmony (17-14) and Hawkins (40-0) with losses to Cooper (21-14) and Winnsboro (41-27).
Against Hawkins last week, quarterback Trip Baysinger went 15-19 for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Ripken Birdwell finished 4-7 for 39 yards. Baysinger also rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown. Running back Keyshawn Walls added 79 yards on the ground and a score. Dontavious Coulter rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Matthew Hays had 138 receiving yards and a score; Jatavious Johnson added 75 yards receiving and Carter Harris caught two touchdowns.
Defensively, Birdwell finished with 10 tackles and Coulter added nine stops. Jatavious Johnson and Carveion Johnson both added interceptions.
The Hawks turned the ball over five times in total and their lone win on the year came in the second game against James Bowie.
Kickoff is at 7:30 Friday at Brahma Stadium.