SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – Signal Mountain has its statement win. And the Eagles made it emphatically.
In its second year of varsity competition, Class 2A’s second-ranked Signal Mountain came into a hostile environment and outplayed 1A’s top-ranked South Pittsburg, leaving with a 40-36 District 6-A win.
“This is the biggest win in our program’s history,” said Eagles senior quarterback Hogan Whitmire, who threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score. “They brought the challenge to us, and we matched it.”
The most difficult aspect of the game was living up to the pregame hype. But that’s just what happened as the game had six lead changes and the teams combined for 895 total yards.
After the Eagles took the four-point lead on Whitmire’s 7-yard run with 7:59 remaining, the visitors forced a turnover deep in their own territory and then physically pounded the Pirates to run out the clock and return home with what is in all likelihood the district championship.
“That game could go either way, but I’m just so proud of how our kids kept fighting,” Eagles coach Bill Price said. “I think this was good for both teams. We’ve still got a ways to go, but this was a really big win for our program.”
The Eagles ran 70 total plays, rolling up 524 yards of total offense, a very balanced 266 rushing and 258 passing.
Trailing by seven at the half, Signal Mountain (5-0, 2-0) began the second half with a pass followed by nine straight runs, ending with Gervell Morgan’s 4-yard scoring run. On the Eagles’ next possession, they needed just two plays to cover 80 yards, Whitmire connecting with Jon Patton for a 29-yard TD.
South Pittsburg (3-1, 1-1) reclaimed the lead when Travis Millard hit Antonio Chubb on a 23-yard pass to convert fourth-and-6, and then Corbin Hale capped the drive with a 2-yard scoring run. But again the Eagles returned to the ground game, with a 10-play drive, the final eight of which were run plays.
“They were just more physical than us up front,” Pirates coach Vic Grider said. “I don’t want anybody talking about turnovers costing us. Yeah, we had our chances, but the bottom line is Signal Mountain just got after us and took the game.”