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Saints Score Big on Hillcrest
Melissa Grace
Photos by: Jennifer Hall
Prentiss Christian traveled to Byram Friday night to face AAAA Hillcrest. This was a big opportunity to get much needed power points for the playoffs. Prentiss won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick. A short kick was returned by Josh Daley to the 43 yard line giving Prentiss good field position. Austin Daughdrill and Hunter Sutton hit the ground moving the ball to the HCS 32 yard line, but a fumble gave the ball over to the Cougars. The Cougars took advantage of some miscues early on and worked the ball into the end zone for an early touchdown. The two point conversion was added giving Hillcrest an 8-0 lead in the first quarter. The following kickoff was fielded by Daughdrill and returned 15 yards to the 45 yard line of PCS. After a holding penalty on first down negated a seven yard run, Blake Greenlee found Daley on a 62 yard strike for a touchdown. Daughdrill added the two point conversion knotting the game at eight. Daley’s kickoff flew forty yards and was only returned two yards to the HCS 24 yard line. The Saints held the Cougars to three yards forcing a twenty eight yard punt. Prentiss took over on the HCS 45 yard line. Two plays later, Eric Powell scampered into the end zone from forty yards out. Daley added the PAT giving Prentiss a 15-8 lead. The PCS kickoff went thirty seven yards to the 23 yard line and was returned out to the 29 yard line. The offense was stifled and HCS once again punted back to the Saints. Following a good return by Sutton, the Saints started on the PCS 41 yard line. The Saints could get little going and punted back to Hillcrest who took over at the Cougar 19 yard line. The Cougars moved out to the 34 yard line, but had to punt back to the Saints. Penalties hurt the Saints on the drive forcing them to punt from their own 30 yard line. The Cougars threw three incompletions in a row to force a punt back to Prentiss. After the punt was downed, the Saints started back on their own 41 yard line. PCS would only gain three yards on the drive and punt back to HCS. The Saints stopped the Cougars, but were hit with a pass interference call to keep the drive alive. The Cougars moved all the way to the PCS 29 yard line, but could not convert the forth down attempt. Greenlee quickly found Powell on a fifty six yard touchdown pass. The Pat was added giving PCS a 22-8 lead late in the second quarter. Daley kicked off deep to the Cougars and good coverage forced a fumble that picked up by Zevohn Smith and returned for a touchdown. Daley added the PAT again making it 29-8. Another good kickoff was covered well again holding HCS to a three yard gain and starting their drive on the 18 yard line. A series of incompletions brought the first half to a close.
The Saints’ second half kickoff went forty three yards and was returned nine yards to the HCS 26 yard line. A forty four yard pass set up a run by the HCS quarterback for a touchdown. The two point conversion pass was broken up and the score became 29-14. HCS short kick was taken by Daley and returned seventy three yards for a touchdown. He added the PAT giving the Saints a 36-14 lead. A forty two yard Daley kickoff was then returned twelve yards to the HCS 30 yard line. Pressure on the quarterback ended the Cougars’ hopes of a drive and forced a HCS punt. Sutton returned the punt thirty nine yards, but an illegal block moved the ball back to the PCS 47 yard line. Two plays later, the Saints pass was intercepted on the Hillcrest 25 yard line. The Cougars made their way to the twenty five yard line before being held up by the Saints. An incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to Prentiss Christian. PCS gained three yards on the drive an elected to punt back to Hillcrest. A negative return on the play set HCS up on their own 10 yard line. The Cougars put up eight yards before punting back to Prentiss. The punt was downed and PCS started a new drive on the Saints 37 yard line. Short gains set up a huge fifty one yard pass from Greenlee to Sutton who was bumped out on the 1 yard line. Greenlee kept the ball on the next play and followed his line into the end zone. Daley added the PAT and Prentiss took a 43-14 lead in the third quarter. Daley then bombed a fifty five yard kickoff that was fielded and returned to the 16 yard line. The Saints defense came to life and sacked the quarterback twice in this series setting up a punt attempt by the Cougars. The punt was fielded by Sutton, but coughed up to the Cougars on the 40 yard line. Hillcrest put together a good drive down to the Saint 25 yard line, but came up a yard shy on fourth down. Prentiss took over on their own 16 yard line. Prentiss softened up the defense with runs by Wade Watkins. This set up a thirty yard touchdown pass from Greenlee to Daley down the sideline. The Saints went up 49-14 near the end of the fourth quarter. Hillcrest could not muster any sort of comeback this late in the game as the Saints capped off another victory. PCS travels to Wayne Academy this week for an important district match up.
