SOUTH PITTSBURG 56, COLUMBIA ACADEMY 20
The star: Senior running back Joseph Lilly ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. His scoring runs both came in the second quarter and covered 28 and 50 yards.Up next: South Pittsburg will host Greenback in next week’s Class 1A semifinals.
COLUMBIA, Tenn. - It really doesn't matter what Joseph Lilly' 40-yard dash time is.
Once the South Pittsburg senior is on the football field, for argument's sake, let's just say it's plenty fast enough.
Even in a backfield loaded with speed, Lilly stands out, and he made the most of his limited carries Friday night to lead the Pirates to a 56-20 dismantling of previously unbeaten Columbia Academy in the Class 1A quarterfinals.
On just seven carries, Lilly ran for 154 yards and scored on second-quarter runs of 28 and 50 yards. He had just one carry that went for fewer than 10 yards as South Pittsburg (12-1) avenged last year's quarterfinal loss to the Bulldogs (11-1).
"We've been waiting for this game all year," Lilly said. "We really wanted to come out and prove how far we've come since last year. It was a big deal for us to come out strong and not give them any hope.
"Everything we did tonight is a credit to our line. They were the ones who made things easy for us and allowed us to make some big plays."
As has been the case throughout the season, the Pirates fed off big plays, averaging 11 yards per play against a Bulldogs defense that started the night allowing just 15 points per game.
The Pirates will host Greenback in next week's semifinals. The Cherokees (13-0), who were state runners-up last year, held off Coalfield 28-21 in another quarterfinal Friday.
South Pittsburg scored on its first eight possessions, doing so in five plays or less five times. The only possession that didn't end with a touchdown was the last, when the Pirates took a knee twice to run out the clock.
After holding Columbia Academy on the game's opening possession, South Pittsburg needed just three plays to score as Hogan Holland connected with Cade Kennemore on a slant pass that went 46 yards for a touchdown.
Two more punts on the Bulldogs' next possessions resulted in the Pirates again scoring quickly. First sophomore fullback Garrett Raulston capped a 63-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run, followed by Lilly's 28-yard scoring run.
Columbia Academy, which had averaged 280 rushing yards coming in, was held to 77 yards on 15 carries.
Four players scored for the Pirates, who rolled up 437 yards of total offense, with 320 coming on the ground as they scored 40-plus points for the 10th consecutive game, including eight of 50-plus.
"We executed about as well as could be expected," Pirates coach Vic Grider said. "The biggest difference from last year is how much stronger we are up front. We had skill position guys last year, but we couldn't stand toe to toe with them up front and do anything with them. Tonight, we pretty much lined up and just ran our base plays, and they couldn't stop us. We did whatever we wanted, and it all started with those linemen.
"We're exactly where we wanted to be when this season started, hosting a semifinal with a chance to advance and play for another state title."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.