SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – A game that had been marred by turnovers for much of the first three quarters and would have been otherwise forgettable for both teams turned even uglier near the end.
Class 1A second-ranked South Pittsburg whipped 4A visitor Central 40-14, but the lasting effects of the game came from a benches-clearing brawl.
With just under eight minutes remaining, after Central had kicked off following its first touchdown, a shoving match between one player from each team near the home sideline quickly escalated into a brawl that resulted in five South Pittsburg players and three Central players being ejected.
“It was a physical game – we tried to be as physical as we could – but with teenagers, sometimes emotions get the best of them,” Purple Pounders coach Sam Montgomery said. “I hate it because I consider myself to be good friends with all those South Pittsburg coaches, but this will hurt both teams with district games coming up.”
Under TSSAA rules, players who were ejected must sit out next week’s games as well. South Pittsburg travels to District 6 foe Whitwell, while Central hosts Red Bank.
“Unfortunately since people’s emotions took over, now a lot of other folks have to pay the price,” Pirates coach Vic Grider said. “I’m not real happy about it.”
Until that point, South Pittsburg’s defense had been the story of the game. The Pirates allowed just 8 total yards in the first half and Central did not pick up a first down until 10 minutes remained in the third quarter. The Pirates also forced four turnovers in the first half, including Demtric “Little Man” Johnson’s 30-yard interception return for their second touchdown.
Johnson also opened the second half with an electrifying 95-yard kickoff return for a score. For the fifth straight game, Pirates running back Raquis Hale went over the century mark, finishing with 118 rushing yards and two TDs.
The Pounders lost turnovers on their first three possessions and finished the game with 87 total yards and five turnovers.
“From the opening snap we had 11 guys running to the football pretty well defensively,” Grider said. “We knew they had a lot of quick athletes, but we set a pretty good tone from the first series on.”