Top-ranked Pirates hijack Champions

Senior tailback Matt Henderson sprints to the end zone for Cascade's second touchdown. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The top-ranked team in Class A played like a well-oiled machine as the Pirates (3-0) amassed 524 yards of total offense and took full advantage of three Champion turnovers.

"I didn't feel like we got off the bus ready to play," Cascade coach Kenny Parker said. "I thought we were a little intimidated. We got off the interstate and saw the South Pittsburg sign that had five state championships on it, saw their facilities and the music they were playing ... just thought we were intimidated from the start."

Chattanooga commit Terrell Robinson was tough to defend. The senior quarterback was 9-for-10 passing for 191 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 70 yards and picked off a pass from his safety position.

Pirate junior Raquis Hale needed but 10 rushes to total 101 yards and three TDs (2, 3, 30).

"We're a better football team than this, not to take anything away from South Pittsburg," Parker said. "They played hard, and that's what I told our guys we've got to learn from this. We've got to learn what playing hard and playing fast means. That's what South Pittsburg did: they play hard, they play fast, they come to play football. We didn't and it showed."

Cascade (1-3) didn't cross the 50-yard line until their fifth series when Gerald "Happy" Johnson hauled in a 39-yard pass from Jared Carkuff.

They made the most of that opportunity as Carkuff scrambled left and threw right to find Ricky Hord wide open in the end zone from 10 yards out to cut their deficit to 28-7 with 4:31 left before halftime.

South Pittsburg didn't waste any time answering as Malcolm Jones caught a Robinson pass and raced 52 yards to paydirt 35 seconds later.

Jones showed off his wheels yet again before the bands entertained by jetting 88 yards shortly after the Pirates got the ball back. Matthew Allen's two-point conversion run put the hosts up 43-7 at the break.

"We couldn't get off the field. They just whipped us up front and had too much speed for us," Parker said.

The throttle stayed down as the third quarter got underway. Robinson dropped back and hit a streaking Jones for a 41-yard TD on the first play from scrimmage.

Cascade defensive backs Tyler Bowen (33) and Gerald 'Happy' Johnson (7) converge on South Pittsburg running back Jonathan Sellers. (T-G Photo by Gary Johnson) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Cascade gave the ball right back by fumbling the ensuing kickoff, and two plays later Hale was handing the ball to the referee following a 30-yard score. Jacob Howard booted his seventh and final extra point with 9:23 to go in the third period.

For the first time ever, the Champs were on the losing end of the TSSAA's running-clock rule.

"We've got to pick up some positives from this. You're only going to get better when you play better competition," Parker said.

"It should help us in the next game. We can't practice that. The big thing now is that we've got to get it back in our heads that we can play football."

Matt Henderson ran in Cascade's second TD from 17 yards away with 5:24 left in the game. Josh Molder kicked both extra points.

The Champs totaled 50 rushing yards on 25 attempts. Henderson was held to 24 yards on 11 rushes.

In contrast, the victors ran the ball 35 times for 336 yards.

Michael Martin paced the Cascade defense with eight tackles. Henderson followed with six stops.

The Champs take a week off to lick their wounds before preparing to host Mt. Pleasant in another non-district game for homecoming on Sept. 25.

"We're banged up a little bit, so it's good that we're going to have next week off," Parker said.