By Joshua Perkins
Tribune Sports
PINSON —Pinson Valley ran behind Khymel Chaverst to a 57-28 win over 6A region 6 rival Center Point.
Chaverst had a Derrick Henry like night running the ball 23 times for 197 yards and 3 touchdowns. A 32 yard reception gave him 229 all purpose yards. It’s another big night for the Junior bowling ball who seems unstoppable in the trenches. “He’s a tough running back,” said head coach Matt Glover after the game. “He had a great game.”
Center Point started with the ball but QB Tacoby Trammell threw a pick six to Raymond Womack to begin the long night for the Eagles. Trammell made up for the pick by heaving one to Kelvin Cole Jr. for 77 yards on the next play from scrimmage. A 2-point try failed when Trammell could not find a receiver in the endzone. Trammell would finish the game 11-28 for 238 yards and 2 touchdwons.
Pinson Valley drove the ball down the field and had first and goal from inside the 5, but Chaverst was stopped 4 straight times, the last from the six-inch line.
Center Point would go three and out and give Pinson the ball at midfield, but Jackie Matthews made his only mistake of the game giving the ball right back to Eagles on a LeBoise Deru interception.
The drive was short lived, though, as Trammell threw another interception, this one to Andrew McKinney to set up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Matthews to Torrey Hendrix. Matthews would finish the night 10-20 for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns. He would add 31 on the ground and another two touchdown.
After a Center Point three and out Matthews found Hendrix again for 29 yards to set up a 1 yard rushing touchdown for Matthews.
Center Point’s next drive stalls at the Pinson 45 and Chaverst finds the end zone from 18 yards out.
The kickoff was fielded by Cole Jr. who reversed it to George Steele for a 94-yard touchdown to make the game 27-12.
On Pinson’s next drive Chaverst would find the endzone again, this time from 6 yards.
Center Point would get the ball with 30 seconds before halftime and nearly scored on a hail mary ball that was dropped by Cole Jr. Both teams would go into halftime with the score 34-12.
Jaytorian Sharp would set up Pinson at the 50 after the second half kickoff and the Indians kicker Saul Rios would boot one in from 27 yards to make the score 37-12.
Both teams would go three and out and Center Point would fail on 4th down at their own 11 on a gutsy call by coach Shawn Gregory. 11 yards is all Chaverst needed to power one in on the next play to make the score 44-12.
Once again both teams would go three and out before Courtney Blakely returned Pinson Valley’s punt for a 73-yard touchdown to get Center Point back in it 44-20.
Pinson Valley would recover the onside kick and Matthews would find Dilan Henderson from 17 yards out to push the lead to 30, 50-20.
Center Point would find another big touchdown when Trammell found Cole Jr. for 80 yards to make it 50-28. Cole Jr. would finish with 3 catches, 157 yards, and 2 touchdwons.
Chaverst would ice the game with 40 yards rushing on the last drive, and Matthews would seal it with a 5-yard rushing touchdown.
Center Point falls to 0-8 and 0-5 in region play, pushing the losing streak to 15. “We’re trying to get there,” said Coach Gregory after the game. “We’ve got 42 guys out there fighting hard as they can, giving it their all.”
Pinson Valley improves to 5-2 and 3-1 in region. “I’m proud of the way we played,” said Coach Glover.
Pinson will play at Gardendale (5-3(2-2)) next week. “Gardendale’s got a really good football team,” said Glover. “We’ve got out work cut out for us.”
Center Point will travel to 6A Region 4 team Parker (3-3(2-3)) next week.