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Saints Bounce Back With a Big Win
Photos by: Jennifer Hall – https://photosbyjenny.zenfolio.com/
By: Melissa Grace
The Saints wanted to end the regular season on a high note heading into the playoffs. PCS traveled to Heidelberg Academy for a district matchup that would partially determine playoff alignment. The Saints won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. The Rebels attempted the onside kick to start the game, but Blaise Holder made an easy catch and returned the ball to the HA 43 yard line. The Saints opened up on the ground for two plays then Blake Greenlee hit Josh Daley on a 40 yard pass for a touchdown. Daley’s PAT missed its mark, but with 1:27 off the clock the Saints had a quick 6-0 lead. The kickoff team was a little too quick and had to back up and kick from the 35 yard line. Daley’s kickoff flew 50 yards and was fielded on the 15 yard line with no return. Big defensive plays and a couple of big gains by the Rebels defined the first drive for HA, but a sack by Ned Sanders on 3rd and 15 forced a punt by HA from their own 32 yard line. The punt managed 35 yards and was downed on the Saint 33 yard line. Runs by Austin Daughdrill and Blaise Holder quickly got the ball into HA territory for the Saints. Eric Powell finished the drive with a 41 yard run for a touchdown. Daley added the PAT giving the Saints a 13-0 lead with 2:51 to play in the 1st quarter. Daley kicked off for 45 yards and the returner was bottled up by Daughdrill and Powell after only a 6 yard return. Minimal gains on 1st and 2nd down set up a QB sack by Michael Goddard on 3rd down forcing a 4th and 14 and another Rebel punt. Heidelberg’s punt was only 28 yards and was returned by Powell for 5 yards to the Rebel 40 yard line. Daughdrill and Holder were called upon again to move the ball down the field for the Saints. A five play drive was finished off by Holder who bulled his way into the end zone from 2 yards out. Daley again added the PAT and the Saints were off to a 20-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. Daley’s kickoff was fielded at the 20 yard line and returned to the 39 yard line for HA’s best starting field position of the night. On 1st down, Holder showed his prowess on defense as well by sacking the Rebel QB for a 6 yard loss. A 2 yard loss made by Kolbe Verdun and Kash Miller on 2nd down and a deflected pass by Daughdrill on 3rd down set up a 4th and 18 for the Rebels. The Rebels called a timeout, but decided to punt to the Saints anyway. The HA punt went 35 yards, but was returned by Powell 50 yards to the Rebel 16 yard line. On 2nd down, Greenlee found Goddard in the end zone for a 14 yard TD pass. Daley added the PAT giving the Saints a 26-0 lead with 7:08 to play in the 2nd quarter. Daley’s following kickoff zoomed all the way to the 5 yard line before the Rebels could gather it up. Steven Colson and Micah Bullock wrapped up the returner on the 16 yard line giving the Saint defense a good place to start. A 4 yard loss on 1st down followed by a defection from Hunter Sutton, as well as, a broken pass by Daley forced another HA punt. The 40 yard punt was downed on the Prentiss 48 yard line. Daughdrill followed good blocking on 1st down for a 16 yard gain. Powell added another 26 yards and Goddard completed the drive with a 12 yard touchdown run. An errant snap and hold forced a 2pt conversion pass that fell short keeping the Saints to a 32-0 lead with 3:42 to play in the half. Daley’s kick was for 55 yards and was only returned 9 yards thanks to Miller and Colson on the coverage team. The Rebels made their way to the 19 yard line, but faced a 4th and 5. A fake punt gained 15 yards for the Rebels and gave them a new set of downs on the 34 yard line. A defection by Sutton on 1st down and a batted pass by Jack Chavis on 2nd down set up a 3rd and long for the Rebels. The 3rd down play only gained 1 yard, but the Saints were hit with a horse collar penalty giving the Rebels a 1st down. HA threw consecutive incompletions to start and fumbled on 3rd down only to recover the ball 4 yards short of the 1st down. The Rebels attempted to convert on 4th down, but Powell broke up the pass giving the Saints the ball on the PCS 44 yard line. An incompletion on 1st down by Greenlee left only 3 seconds on the clock. Powell then took the ball 51 yards as the horn sounded, but fell just shy of the end zone at the 5 yard line ending the 1st half.
Daley kicked off to the Rebels to start the 2nd half. The ball was fielded on the 20 yard line and returned to the 45 yard line. HA converted a 1st down and moved the ball to the Saint 43 yard line on 5 plays before Verdun forced a fumble and recovered it at that spot. The Saints had a slip up on 1st down with a bad snap losing back to the 41 yard line of Prentiss. Following an incompletion on 2nd down, Greenlee found Daughdrill on a screen pass that gained 25 yards and another PCS 1st down. Prentiss inched to the Rebel 29 yard line, but fell short on a 4th down attempt turning the ball over for the first time all game. The Rebels gained some momentum and moved the ball down to the Saint 40 yard line. On 1st down, Daughdrill jumped the route and intercepted the HA pass. He was dragged down after a 32 return at the HA 33 yard line. Runs for loss on 1st and 2nd down put the Saints into a 3rd and long situation. Greenlee passed to Daley for 13 yards setting up a 4th and 4 attempt from the 27 yard line. Powell took the ball from there and scampered in for another PCS touchdown. Daley added the PAT giving PCS a 39-0 lead late in the 3rd quarter. Daley’s 40 yard kickoff was covered well by Sutton and Holder as they made the tackle on the 28 yard line. The Rebels got a little help from a Saints penalty on this drive, but not enough to make a difference. A failed 4th and 2 attempt gave PCS the ball back on the Rebel 47 yard line. Taylor Barrett and Wade Watkins got the handoffs at this point. Both players ran well behind the O-line getting all the way to the 2 yard line on 8 runs. Lendon Ellis tried to pound it in from there, but the Rebel defense responded keeping the ball out of the end zone as time expired on the game. The Saints will take the 39-0 win into the playoffs this week. Prentiss hosts Tunica Academy at home Friday night.
OFFENSIVE STATS:
BLAKE GREENLEE 5/9 PASSING 96 YDS 2TD
ERIC POWELL 6R 138YDS 2TD
AUSTIN DAUGHDRILL 9R 63 YDS; 1 REC 25YD
WADE WATKINS 8R 40YDS
BLAISE HOLDER 5R 39YDS 1TD
MICHAEL GODDARD 5R 10YDS 1TD;2 REC 18YD 1TD
TAYLOR BARRETT 3R 1 YD
LENDON ELLIS 1R -2YDS
JOSH DALEY 2REC 53YDS 1TD
DEFENSIVE STATS:
BLAISE HOLDER 4T6A 1SACK
KASH MILLER 3T 6A
MICHAEL GODDARD 4T 1SACK
KOLBE VERDUN 6A
NED SANDERS 2T 1A 1 SACK
JACK CHAVIS 5A
HUNTER SUTTON 1T 2A
AUSTIN DAUGHDRILL 1T 2A 1 INT
ERIC POWELL 4A
STEVEN COLSON 3A
JOSH DALEY 1T
TANNER BERRY 1A
MICAH BULLOCK 1A
