By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
MOUNTAIN BROOK – The Pinson Valley Indians traveled to Spartan Stadium in Mountain Brook for a Thursday night region showdown with the Spartans. Mountain Brook used a huge scoring surge in the third and early fourth quarters to stomp out the Indians by a final of 47-30.
Pinson’s Derrico Freeman avoids a Spartan defender.
Photo by: Damarkis Adams
The fireworks got started early in the game as TJ Calhoun took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, putting Pinson up 6-0 after a bad snap on the PAT.
Later in the first, Mountain Brook would get a 39-yard pass for a score to take the lead at 7-6.
Not to be outdone, Indian quarterback Derrico Freeman finished off a 66-yard drive for Pinson with a four-yard score. The failed two-point play made it 12-7 Indians.
The Pinson defense would hold strong and keep the Spartans from scoring. After taking over at their own 36, Freeman would throw an interception that set Mountain Brook up with good field position at the 42. Despite the Spartans driving deep into Pinson territory, the Indian defense stood tall and held them to a field goal, making it 12-10 Pinson.
On the next kickoff, the Spartans kicked it a bit short, but the “new number two” RJ Addison took it to the house from 78 yards away to put the Indians up 18-10.
With time on the clock, Mountain brook would drive and get a touchdown before the half. They tried for two points, but could not get it. The halftime score was 18-16 Pinson.
Mountain Brook would waste little time scoring as they took the ball down the field and scored with 10:55 to go in the third to make it 23-18.
Kaden Edwards picked off the Spartan quarterback on a fourth down try, but the Indians would have a lot of real estate to cover, as they took over inside their own 10-yard line. The Spartans would hold them to a punt and, with a short field, the home team would kick a field goal with 38 seconds to play in the third frame, making it 26-18 Mountain Brook.
The Spartans would get the ball back after another Pinson punt and Stuart Andrews would finish the drive with a four-yard touchdown to make it 33-18 Spartans early in the fourth.
On Pinson’s very next offensive play, Freeman threw the ball to a Mountain Brook defender who returned it 22 yards for a Spartan touchdown. Now it would be 40-18 and the home team was rolling.
Pinson would not go away, however. Freeman would drop back to pass, but the pressure would cause him to run the ball and 85 yards later, he was celebrating in the end zone. Pinson narrowed the Spartan lead to 40-24 with 6:20 to play.
Andrews would strike again for the Spartans, making it 47-24 with 4:26 to play, after a short run.
On their next drive, the Indians would get the ball down to the 17-yard line. Freeman would leave the game, but the offense would not miss a beat as Jamison Green would come into the game and hit Addison for a touchdown to make it 47-30 Mountain Brook, and that would be the final.
Pinson’s Derrico Freeman waits for the Gabe Lando snap.
Photo by: Damarkis Adams
First-time quarterback Derrico Freeman said the following, “I think I did for my first time. I was a receiver, but I am trying to help the team out by doing whatever they ask of me. It was good to get some points on the board. It feels good that coach had the confidence in me.”
Senior center Gabe Lando said, “All my guys played well. We have faced a lot of adversity that not many people would like to have. I am really proud. We played with a lot of heart. We lost but we played as hard as we could. I am proud of the young guys who stepped up in big moments. The offensive line and the defense. At the end of the day, we are a team. We have to build on this effort and get better next week.”
“No moral victories, but I am proud of them tonight,” said James Thompson, Pinson’s coach. “It’s my job to fuss when we don’t get the job done. Those guys showed toughness and pride and grit. We had guys step up. We had three or four freshmen on the field tonight. We are headed in the right direction and our record is not indicative of what we have on this team. These guys have been through a lot. I just wish they had gotten into the W column. They will finish well. If you watch us practice and lift, you can’t tell our record is what it is. We just fight hard and next week; we get another opportunity to get a win.”
Pinson falls to 1-6, 1-3 in the region. They will begin a three-game home stand with region foe Pell City coming to the Reservation.
