SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – In the weight room, Raquis Hale squats 375 pounds. Friday night, South Pittsburg’s senior running back put an an entire football-crazy town on his shoulders and lifted every fan at Beene Stadium.
With second-ranked South Pittsburg clinging to a slim fourth-quarter lead, Hale electrified the home stands first with a 94-yard touchdown sprint, then put the game away with a methodical drive to lead a 32-21 Class 1A quarterfinal victory over fourth-ranked Gordonsville.
Hale finished the game with 320 rushing yards on 30 carries, with three TDs. That total fell just 19 yards shy of the school record. South Pittsburg (10-2) will host Coalfield (10-2) in next week’s semifinals.
“They were getting the momentum and I knew my team needed me to make something big happen,” Hale said. “It was getting crazy, so I just wanted to focus and calm everything down.