Pirates' Hale well

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. -- It was a simple move, and one Raquis Hale had made many times before. But it also was a clear sign the ankle injury that had hampered South Pittsburg's junior running back much of the season was forgotten.

After taking a handoff during the second half of last week's quarterfinal playoff game, Hale sprinted toward the sideline, then planted his left foot, cut back and accelerated through a wad of blockers and defenders.

As he burst past the Gordonsville secondary, Pirates quarterback Terrell Robinson had a perfect angle of the 77-yard touchdown run.

"When I gave it to him and carried out my fake, I watched him make that cut and then turn the corner and I was like, 'Wow!'" Robinson said. "He's just so explosive. I think he's got the fastest game speed of anybody on our team, and that keeps teams from focusing on me or (receiver) Malcolm Jones."

A healthy Hale means the Pirates now have a trifecta of game-breaking offensive weapons. The third-ranked Pirates will need every threat this Friday when they play a Class 1A semifinal at fourth-ranked Grace Christian in Knoxville, which averages 35 points per game.

The Pirates outscored their first two playoff opponents 96-7 and averaged 368 more total yards than the victims.

A hairline fracture in an ankle caused Hale to miss the season opener and limited his role the next week. He looked healthy in a midseason win at Signal Mountain, rushing for 197 yards and four touchdowns on just 13 carries. But he reinjured the ankle two weeks later and was slowed again for the season's late stretch of games.

"It was very frustrating having to watch from the sideline," Hale said. "I wanted this to be my year to really step up and help the team. I finally feel like I'm getting to do that now. This is the best I've felt all year, and I could tell last week that my speed and my cuts were back, so I could use my quickness."

After again resting the injury for the three weeks leading up to the Pirates' playoff opener, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound back has given a boost to an already electrifying offense, averaging 16.8 yards per carry in gaining 285 yards and scoring five TDs in the last two games. He needs 167 yards to become the fifth Pirates back in as many years to gain 1,000 yards, and he also has more than 250 receiving yards.

"He gets overshadowed by a couple of our seniors, but he's special," Pirates coach Vic Grider said. "He is an elite running back right now, and you can see him grow and get better every week now that he's healthy.

"He has the ability to make people miss in space, cut and then take off really quick, plus he'll lower his shoulder and get the tough yards. He's as talented as any back we've had here in the last few years, and that's saying something. The speed he's playing at now, he's a big key for us, and I think he'll develop into a premier back by next year."