3rd Quarter TD Gives PA 22-21 Homecoming Win

By Brian Hamilton, Sports Correspondent

Pickens Academy’s Austin Goodman scored on a seven-yard run late in the third quarter to take a 22-21 lead over Cornerstone Christian. The Pirates were unable to punch in the two-point conversion for a field goal lead, but were able to hold off the Chargers for a 22-21 win on homecoming.

“We’re tickled to death we’ve won the games that matter — which they all matter to me — but the ones that depend on the playoffs, we’ve won those games,” Pickens Academy head coach Wade Goodman said. “We set ourselves up good for the playoffs, so now it’s all about seeding.”

Pickens Academy took an early 8-0 lead when William Parker found Will Noland for a nine-yard touchdown. The Pirates led 8-0 after the first quarter, but Cornerstone was on the drive, as the Chargers had the ball at the three-yard line to open the second quarter.

Cornerstone’s Nick Green then tossed a touchdown pass on the drive to cut the Pirates’ lead to 8-7. The Chargers muffed a PA punt, giving the Pirates the ball at the Cornerstone 34-yard line with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

A few plays later Jon Wesley Rye would hurdle a defender and find the end zone on a 16-yard touchdown run to put Pickens Academy in front 16-7 with 7:25 remaining in the second quarter. The Pirates got the ball back and were in position to really put some pressure on the Chargers.

“I thought we had them on the ropes, I thought we really had them ready to lay down,” Goodman said. “I thought ‘Man, they’re fixing to quit,” but they scored two touchdowns back-to-back. I thought we had them though. We were up 16-7 and got the ball back and I thought if we could put the nail in the coffin right there, they’d quit ­— but we couldn’t do it.”

Pickens Academy would have to give the ball back to Cornerstone and almost immediately Green tossed a screen pass for a 48-yard touchdown to pull the Chargers to within two points, at 16-14. Cornerstone would then take the lead on the next possession when a Parker pass was tipped and intercepted by linebacker Tanner Falkner and returned for a touchdown. The extra-point would put the Chargers in front 21-16.