BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR)

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. – Orange and black uniforms, the pirate ship in the end zone with cannons, Beene Stadium, and championships are a few things that come to mind with you think of South Pittsburg football. Coming off of state championship number 7 and returning only 4 starters from that team, there was some talk that the 2024 season would be a rebuilding year for the Pirates. If it is, then most programs would love to have a rebuilding season like this. South Pittsburg started off strong, rallied, then finished off Chattanooga Prep 35-19 in a battle of unbeaten region teams.

South Pittsburg would get things rolling on the first possession of the game, going 80 yards and getting six when JaMychal Buckner rumbled in from 27 yards out to give the Pirates an early 7-0 lead with 9:09 remaining in the opening quarter. Buckner would also have a 19-yard run on the drive. After a Chattanooga Prep punt on their first possession that was downed at the South Pittsburg 10-yard line, the Pirates were on the move again and got inside the Sentinels’ 30-yard line. South Pittsburg went for it on 4^th down but failed to convert.

South Pittsburg on offense against Chattanooga Prep

The Pirates would add to their 7-0 first quarter lead with 6:49 remaining in the second quarter when Dayon Cooper would score from 56 yards out to increase that lead to 14-0. Buckner would have runs of 27 and 12 yards on the drive as well. Both teams traded punts and Chatt. Prep was looking to get some kind of momentum before halftime. The Sentinels got just that with just under 40 seconds left on the clock when sophomore quarterback Austin Jones connected with another sophomore, Jatari Davis, on a 38-yard pass on 4^th and 29 to cut the Pirates lead to 14-6.

Lon’Deon Kellogg’s 44-yard touchdown catch about 2 minutes into the second half got the Sentinels within 1, trailing 14-13. That momentum would continue on South Pittsburg’s first play of their first possession of the half when E’Monte Thornton took at Pirates’ fumble down to the South Pittsburg 3-yard line. Marquis Gardner would race in on the next play from 3 yards out to give Chattanooga Prep their first lead of the night, 19-14, with 9:38 left in the quarter. South Pittsburg rallied on the ensuing drive, going 73 yards and retaking the lead, 21-19, on Cooper’s second touchdown of the game for the final points of the third quarter with 3:36 remaining.

Chattanooga Prep’s Jaydan Parker celebrates after tackling South Pittsburg’s Dayon Cooper

Buckner would rip off a 48-yard punt return down to the Chatt. Prep 36-yard line. Cooper had a 17-yard run on 3^rd and 5 to get South Pittsburg inside the red zone, then Buckner would end the drive with his second touchdown run of the evening from 5 yards out to push the Pirates advantage to 28-19 with 6:49 left in the game. The Sentinels would go for it on 4^th and 9 on the next possession in their territory, which they were unable to get and giving South Pittsburg the ball at the Prep 28. Ky Powell would send the Sentinels off the plank for good with a 9-yard run with 3:39 left to give the Pirates a 35-19 lead.

Buckner (143 yards) and Cooper (184) would combine for 309 total yards rushing on 38 combine carries and 4 touchdowns. South Pittsburg would gain 328 yards total on the ground while holding Chattanooga Prep to -4 yards rushing. Penalties would prove to be costly for both teams, with 32 total yellow hankies thrown for 270 total yards with the Sentinels being flagged 22 times for 185 yards.

South Pittsburg improves to 6-2 overall and remains unbeaten in region play with a 3-0 record. The Pirates travel to Sale Creek for another region game on Friday night. Chattanooga Prep falls to 6-2 and 2-1 in the region. The Sentinels will travel to Whitwell on Friday night for another big region battle.

Follow Jeff on “X” at @TheJeffCate