Garrett Raulston scores four TDs in Pirates' 33-7 romp [photos]

South Pittsburg's Garrett Raulston (9) follows his blocking for a big gain.  The Whitwell Tigers visited the South Pittsburg Pirates in the quarterfinals of the TSSAA football playoffs on November 17, 2017.
South Pittsburg's Garrett Raulston (9) follows his blocking for a big gain. The Whitwell Tigers visited the South Pittsburg Pirates in the quarterfinals of the TSSAA football playoffs on November 17, 2017.

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. - If the first round was a decision, the second round was a knockout.

Earlier this season South Pittsburg needed a late defensive stand to hang on for a seven-point win against cross-county rival Whitwell, but in Friday night's Class 1A quarterfinal the top-ranked Pirates clobbered the visitors 33-7 in front of another overflow crowd at Beene Stadium.

"We thought it would be big to jump on them early and see how they'd react, and I thought those first two series really set the tone," Pirates coach Vic Grider said. "Our kids were relentless, and I wouldn't trade our guys for anybody's."

South Pittsburg (13-0) advances to next week's semifinal at Greenback (11-1), the team that knocked the Pirates out one step from reaching the title game last year.

"We know all about Greenback, and next week's game will be a grown man's game. It'll be physical for sure," Grider said.

South Pittsburg opened the game with an eight-play, 80-yard drive, capped by Garrett Raulston's 7-yard scoring run. After stopping Whitwell's first possession, the Pirates blocked a punt and Sawyer Kelley recovered it in the end zone for a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

That remained the score at halftime, but not until after the Tigers (11-2), whose average starting field position in the first half was their own 12, marched 84 yards in 14 plays, converting a fourth-and-5 before being stopped a yard short on fourth-and-3 at the Pirates' 4.

Whitwell, which had held 10 of its previous 12 opponents to seven points or less, was stuffed on its first series of the second half and the Pirates answered with a three-play, 70-yard scoring drive, highlighted by freshman Hunter Frame's 63-yard run and capped by Raulston's 4-yard TD.

Raulston, a 6-2, 225-pound junior fullback and state Mr. Football semifinalist, finished with 133 rushing yards on 16 carries and four TDs, helping the Pirates take a 33-0 lead midway through the fourth.

"We prepared hard all week and came out playing pretty good," said Raulston, who also had five tackles and a sack. "Once we got the momentum going early, we just kept going as hard as we could."

After shutting out its previous three opponents, South Pittsburg's defense finally gave up points when Dawson Holloway scrambled for a 15-yard TD with 3:29 remaining.

"Our defense has carried us all year, and if we can keep playing like we have on that side of the ball we'll give ourselves a chance against anybody," Grider said. "Raulston showed why he was a Mr. Football semifinalist. He knows when the game is on the line I like to feed him the ball.

"This time of year it's all about advancing. We felt like we had left some big things on the table the first time we played them, but this time we really got after them and played more like we're capable from start to finish."

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.

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