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Staff Photo by Laura-Chase McGehee/Chattanooga Times Free Press/ Sep 3, 2010 South Pittsburg junior wide receiver/ defensive back Matthew Allen lets down after a play during the South Pittsburg vs. Marion County prep football game held at South Pittsburg.
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — The TSSAA mandates that mercy be shown in lopsided games. Otherwise, South Pittsburg wasn’t about to.
Class 1A’s top-ranked Pirates scored on their first five offensive series as well as a punt return in the first half, then continued piling on the points Friday night in a 64-0 District 6-A victory over Marion County.
That was the fifth straight victory over their cross-county rivals, and the largest margin since a 69-0 win in 1953. The Pirates went for two points on their last four TDs, including after a 28-yard scoring toss late in the third quarter with the starters still in the game.
“That scoreboard is something I will remember for the rest of my life,” said senior quarterback Travis Millard, who threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score. “To leave here and know I never lost to Jasper from little league on up and then win like this, that’s pretty big.
“It was real important to come out and put them down early.”
South Pittsburg led 42-0 at halftime, despite having two touchdowns called back by penalty. The Pirates (2-0, 1-0) outgained the Warriors 529-104 in total yards, averaging more than 11 yards per play.
Even with all-state running back Raquis Hale sidelined by cramps for all but the first five minutes of the game, the Pirates found plenty of other weapons. Hale gained 106 yards on his first four carries, including a TD before sitting out the rest of the first half. He returned in the second half, finishing with 139 yards and two TDs.
During his absence in the first half, senior quarterback Travis Millard threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another. Sophomore Demetric “Little Man” Johnson also returned a punt for a TD for the second straight game.
South Pittsburg proved it can score lightning quick, with two TDs in three plays or less, as well as a sustained drive, going 94 yards in 14 plays for its final score of the first half.
“The plan early on was to put them on their heels, and I think us going no-huddle on our first drive did that,” Pirates coach Vic Grider said. “Scoring on our first couple of plays set the tone, and from there on we did pretty much what we wanted.”
Stephen has covered high school sports in the tri-state area since the early 1990s, starting at the News-Free Press as a 19-year-old reporter. He has been with the Times Free Press since its inception and has been an assistant sports editor for more than seven years. Stephen is among the most decorated writers in the TFP’s newsroom, winning numerous state and regional awards for his writing on high school athletics. He has two children, Riley ...
I noticed on the news last night the coach from Marion met the coach from S. Pitts at mid field and made a comment to him to show some class. I can only assume he was upset by the 64 points that was scored on his Warrior team. When you have your freshman back running for 45 yard touchdowns do you go down and bring in 7th and 8th graders to make his weak team look better. Sorry Troy that your supply of players are down but YOU NEED TO SHOW SOME CLASS and understand better teams with better players will more than likely out score you. Players practice everyday getting ready to play on Friday night. You have to let them play. That why you compete. Sorry Troy, you showed NO CLASS the way you acted on live TV.
Read the article written by Mr. Hargis, a South Pittsburg alumni, fairly chortling at Vic's actions during last nights game. Talk about poor sportsmanship. Going for two point conversions late in the game with a hugh lead, leaving starters in waay to long in a game already well in hand, showing no mercy by intentionally running up a score (like that's something to be admired). Give me a break. What a way for a high school coach to represent a community, and then have a TFP writer gleefully report it to the readers. Both are shining examples of NO CLASS. IMO, Coach Boeck showed REAL CLASS by not knocking Vic square on his butt last night, which would have been exactly what he deserved.
Vic will get his when they play Signal Mountain. This is nothing new for a coach that consistently puts 70 points on way overmatched teams. If Stephen Hargis wasn't the prep editor, SP would get as much coverage because NOBODY IN CHATTANOOGA CARES ABOUT SOUTH PITTSBURG.
I guess we have to put spitts in the class with the BIG ORANGE! Classless by dropping 50 on UTM or is this just football.
So many things...
1st, South Pittsburg vs Jasper is a HUGE deal because of the hatred that is un-matched by any of the Chattanooga area schools and it's the longest running in the entire State.
2nd, let's not cry too many tears for poor ol' Jasper because when Coach Colquitt was running the Jasper Machine, he ran the score up on everyone, every chance he got.
3rd, we can't help that our back up's back ups can run too...can't take a knee. The two point tries are more a point to lack of ability to kick than anything, which has ALWAYS been an issue for us, dating back to my days in the late 80's.
Lastly, bring Signal Mt. on...we take on all comers. We have too...we can't help a AA Jasper team can't match up with us nor most of the 1A schools in the area. To quote my man Jimmy Johnson, "It's not my job to stop me...it's yours"
And we're the #1 team in the state and we have been one the best teams in the area for a long time, Winners get the pub...just the rules.
GO PIRATES!
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