Phoenix rises over South Pittsburg for first state championship
Team FYN Sports December 6, 2024
BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – MASE, Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering, was making their first BlueCross Bowl appearance in school history while South Pittsburg made their 15th appearance on the biggest stage for high school football in Tennessee, taking home 7 gold ball trophies and looking for number 8. The Phoenix would make a statement in their inaugural showing by taking home the first football state championship, in addition to the first team championship in school history, with a 36-14 victory over the Pirates at Finley Stadium on Friday afternoon in the BlueCross Bowl 1A championship game.
South Pittsburg scored 1:08 into the game on a 59-yard Dayon Cooper run to cap a quick 3 play, 65-yard drive to give the Pirates the early 7-0 lead. MASE would answer on their first possession of the game with a quick drive of their own. 4 plays, 68 yards, and 1:50 off the clock was all it took on a 15-yard Deuante Jones touchdown run to cut the South Pittsburg lead to 7-6 with 8:57 left in the first quarter. MASE would force a punt and get points on their second possession, ending with an 18-yard Christopher Watson touchdown run to extend the Phoenix’s lead to 14-7 with 2:48 to go in the opening quarter. Cooper would race in from 38 yards out on the next Pirates possession to tie the game up 14-14 on the final play of the first quarter. Neither team would put a dent in the scoreboard in the second quarter, sending both teams to the locker room tied up at 14-14.
Dayon Cooper scores a touchdown for South Pittsburg
MASE took the second half kickoff and went on a 11 play, 59-yard drive and took the lead back 20-14 when Brody Whitaker found Kadience Nelson on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 5:46 to go in the third quarter. South Pittsburg tried to run a reverse on the ensuing kickoff, but the handoff was fumbled and the Phoenix recovered at the Pirates’ 22-yard line. Watson would get his second rushing touchdown of this championship battle to end the drive and after the 2-point conversion, MASE led 28-14 with 3:26 to go in the quarter. South Pittsburg only had the ball for just over 3 minutes in the third quarter while MASE held on to the football for 8:34.
Kadience Nelson hauls in a touchdown for MASE
MASE would have their best drive of the game midway through the 4th quarter, saving the best for last and leaving something for everyone to remember. The Phoenix would go on a 10 play, 83-yard drive and getting their final points of the game on Watson’s 3rd touchdown run of the matchup from 14 yards out.
Cooper would be the leading rusher (22 rushes for 187 yards and 2 scores), passer (2 of 6 for 55 yards) for the Pirates while game MVP Watson had 10 carries for 76 yards and 3 touchdowns in addition to 1 reception for 40 yards.
MASE finishes the 2024 season with a 13-1 record, winning 13 straight games after losing week 1 to Lausanne, and capturing the first state championship in school history. South Pittsburg completes their 2024 campaign with a 12-3 mark.
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South Pittsburg dominates Whitwell, secures another region title
Team FYN Sports November 4, 2024
BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR)
WHITWELL, Tenn. – South Pittsburg and November, these 2 words go together like Halloween and horror movies. The 2024 version of the Pirates is proving that they are still scary when it comes to being in the state championship picture. After losing almost all of their starters from last season’s title team and dropping 2 games in their first 9 contests this season, the orange and black still had an opportunity to win another region championship. They did just that with a dominating 49-7 victory over Whitwell on Friday night to win the Region 3-1A title.
After forcing Whitwell to go 3 and out on the Tigers’ first possession, the Pirates went to work in this battle of unbeaten region foes. After Dayon Cooper’s 50 yard score was wiped off the scoreboard due to a penalty, South Pittsburg was able to put together a nice drive to get the first points of the game on a 3 yard JaMychal Buckner run to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 2:15 left in the opening quarter. After another Whitwell punt, Cooper and South Pittsburg would add another touchdown to the lead when he scored on a 1 yard rush to extend the Pirates’ lead to 14-0 with 6:40 left in the first half. Ky Powell’s 48 yard run down to the Whitwell 21 yard line was the biggest gainer on the 82 yard drive. Powell and Cooper would be the wind in the sails of the Pirate ship on back-to-back possessions. Powell would account for 46 yards to get down to the Tigers’ 25 yard line and Cooper would end the drive on a 22 yard run to give South Pittsburg a 21-0 advantage with 3:06 left in the second quarter. Powell would haul in an interception and return it inside the red zone, giving the Pirates the ball at the 16 yard line with less than 3 minutes to pad their lead. The Pirates would do that when Buckner rushed in from 12 yards out for his second touchdown of the first half, giving South Pittsburg a 28-0 lead.
The Pirates would continue their first half domination into the third quarter. After converting two 4th downs and getting near the Whitwell 20 yard line, Cooper would add another touchdown to the box score, his third of the game, on a 22 yard run to give South Pittsburg a 35-0 lead with 4:26 left in the third quarter. Buckner would get his third touchdown of the game on the final play of the quarter when he raced in from 49 yards out to push the Pirates lead to 42-0.
Whitwell’s only score of the game came when Bennett McDougal connected with Ryan Scott on a 32 yard pass to make it 49-7 with 7:41 left in the game. South Pittsburg’s offense would score on their 7th consecutive possession on the following drive when Buckner would break tackle after tackle on his way into the endzone from 63 yards out, giving the Pirates their final points of the night and a 49-7 advantage. Buckner, Cooper, and Powell would each go over 100 yards rushing individually while holding Whitwell to less than 50 yards rushing as a team in an effort that was worthy of region hardware.
JaMychal Buckner celebrates after South Pittsburg’s region clinching victory
South Pittsburg improves to 8-2 overall and ended region play with a perfect 5-0 record. The Pirates will host Red Boiling Springs (3-7) in the first round of the TSSAA 1A playoffs. Whitwell falls to 7-3 overall and ends their region schedule with a 4-1 mark. The Tigers will also host a first round playoff game when they welcome Jo Byrns (3-7) to town.
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South Pittsburg sinks Chattanooga Prep, stays perfect in region play
Team FYN Sports October 21, 2024
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 4th 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 4th 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 3rd 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 4th 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.
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