South Pittsburg’s Demetric Johnson (2) runs past Boyd Buchanan defenders during the first half of play Friday evening at the Pirates’ home field.
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – Rance Harden moved about three steps deeper into the backfield several weeks ago, from fullback to tailback, after an injury to John Hale.
Friday night, in a matchup of top-ranked Tennessee high school football teams, Harden stepped up and carried Boyd-Buchanan to a resounding 35-21 victory over South Pittsburg.
“Whew, I am tired,” Harden admitted, pausing to let the fatigue of his night’s work set in for the first time before finally letting out a long sigh.
“We knew to win this game we needed to manage the clock, keep the ball away from them and show them we came to play,” Harden continued. “The coaches told me I would need to carry us at times going into this game, and that’s what I tried to do. It’s the most carries I’ve had.”
Harden carried the ball 33 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns as 2A’s top-ranked Buccaneers physically dominated the first half.