CARROLLTON, Ala. — An 8-0 start to the season had the Pickens Academy football team thinking about its first undefeated state championship since winning back-to-back titles in 1998-99.
But those undefeated dreams were dashed Friday night as three fumbles resulted in a 34-28 loss to Patrician Academy.
One of Pickens Academy’s fumbles resulted in a touchdown, and another came at the 5-yard line in the fourth quarter.
“We had some costly turnovers, especially in the second half with the one down inside the five and the costly penalty on the last drive when we had a chance to win,” Pickens Academy coach John Gartman said. “(Patrician) just played a little bit better than us tonight, and that’s what the score reflected.”
The Pirates also struggled to slow down a Saints rushing attack that chewed up 347 yards. Parker Allen, a converted tight end, carried 25 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
“Big number 40 (Allen) is a hoss,” Gartman said. “We had a hard time tackling him, and he always seemed to drive us back on contact. I thought he was the difference.”
But the Pirates proved to have an arsenal in its backfield, as fullback Garrett Estes and tailback Joel Pratt each eclipsed the 100-yard plateau. Estes had 15 carries for 136 yards, while Pratt gained 104 yards and had a touchdown on 10 attempts.
Quarterback Josh Lewis added 75 yards and a score on 15 carries. He also had a touchdown pass, a 99-yard kickoff return for a score, and 11 tackles.
“They’ve made big plays for us all year and made a few tonight,” Gartman said. “It just wasn’t quite enough.”
Pickens Academy had 349 yards, including 314 rushing.
The Pirates fell behind 34-14 following the first series of the third quarter but battled back to within one score against their larger classification opponent.
“I preach to the kids all the time that how you respond to adversity tells you a lot about your character,” Gartman said. “I thought we responded very well to that tonight and was pleased with that. We’ve stepped up a class the past couple of weeks. Patrician is a 2A school and we’re a 1A. The team we play next week (Clarke Prep) is a very good 2A team, so maybe stepping up a class will help us going into the playoffs.”
The loss spoiled senior night for the Pirates. Pickens Academy has 10 seniors on its 26-man roster, and Gartman said those leaders have been a key to the team’s success.
“They’ve done a great job,” Gartman said. “We struggled last year and went 3-7 and now we’re 8-1. A lot of that reason for the turnaround is the attitude our seniors have brought into this season. We’ve still got a lot to play for. We’ve got one more regular-season game and we’re the No. 1 seed in our region in the playoffs, and we’re looking forward to that, too.”
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