SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – The old graybeards – those former players who long for the good ol’ days of power football – had to love every second of what they saw Friday night at Beene Stadium.
Sequatchie County, which reached the Class 3A semifinals last year, and South Pittsburg, which advanced to the same round in 1A, stood toe to toe trading body blows for four quarters before the host Pirates finally held on for a 28-21 win in the season opener for both teams.
“That was a really good football game, and a dang good team right there,” Pirates coach Vic Grider said while pointing toward the Indians as they left the field. “We’re green as a gourd, but I like the way some of our young kids got back up and answered the bell after getting knocked down.
“We’ve got some talented kids, so we’re only going to get a lot better, but winning the way we did tonight says a lot about what we’ve got to work with.”
In snapping a three-game losing streak to the Indians, South Pittsburg rallied twice from seven-point deficits and made two huge defensive stands in the fourth quarter before finally securing the win.