Pioneers pull out win in OT

Maybe there’s something to be said for Sunday practices.

After what he considered an abysmal performance last Friday, East Ridge High School football coach Mike Martin called a Sunday afternoon practice with the Pioneers in a short-week and must-win situation against East Hamilton.

It took an overtime, but the Pioneers out-rallied the Hurricanes and pulled out a 27-24 victory Thursday night at Finley Stadium.

East Ridge needed and wanted payback, not from East Hamilton but from Madam Adversity.

“I don’t care about the playoff situation,” Martin said. “We just needed something good to happen after the ups and downs these kids have endured.”

They battled back again, finally putting their 6-AA rival away after seeing the Hurricanes rally twice for eventually a 24-21 lead.

The Pioneers were expected to be a force in the district, perhaps dictating to other Class 4A teams who was going to fall where in the postseason.

“We had high expectations. Our kids had high expectations,” Martin said.

They struggled, though, losing five starters including preseason all-star candidates O’Shea Caslin, a tackle who was expected to repeat as a defensive anchor, and Brevante King, who was to be the power back lining up in from of tailback Chase Steele.

“I don’t like talking about it. We lost several and we have struggled to put it behind us,” Martin said. “When you lose those guys you were planning to go to battle with, it wears you down. All year we have been battling adversity, digging a hole and having to climb back out.”

There was probably no bigger low than the unexpected beating they absorbed last week at Hixson. Martin thought it might have been the final straw for a team that has teetered on the brink of implosion.

That adversity paid off in the overtime Thursday.

“We told the kids, ‘Hold them to a field goal and then get a touchdown,’” Martin said.

That’s exactly what happened. The Pioneers forced a 22-yard Logan Cornelius field goal, due in part to a lost-yardage tackle by Josh Francisco, and then Demetrius Bumpus came up with the biggest pass completion of his life. On first down the junior rolled to his left and zipped a 10-yard pass to Demetrius Bumpus for the win.

Although the Hurricanes easily outdistanced the Pioneers in first downs, rushing yards and total offense, East Ridge came up with big plays early in the third quarter. The teams went to halftime in a 7-7 deadlock, and East Ridge then went up 21-7 without its offense getting on the field.

Shaquille Holland had a touchdown called back in the first half because of a block in the back, but he took the opening kickoff of the second half 99 yards. Linebacker Stefan Nelson, who was credited unofficially with 20 solo tackles and a handful of assists, picked off a Scott Paone pass and returned it 15 yards 23 seconds after Holland had crossed the goal line.

“We thought we could return a couple of kicks, and we got one,” Martin said. “The kickoff return and the interception return were good things because we didn’t accomplish a lot offensively. As much as we struggled offensively, it was great to get a boost from the defense and special teams.”

Holland didn’t get upset when his first return was wiped out.

“I knew I was going to do it again. I have that much faith in my teammates,” he said. “We never gave up on each other although a lot of guys thought the season was over when O’Shea and Brevante were out. Everybody put their heads down then and they did it again last week, but we came back again.”