Alabama Christan’s season came to an abrupt halt Friday night as Pike County stunned the Eagles with a 41-39 comeback victory to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The Eagles owned a 25-0 lead at the end of the first period, but the visitors fought all the way back to take their first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter. ACA finished the year with an 8-4 record.
The game could not have started any better for the Eagles as they scored early and often against the lifeless Bulldogs. ACA drove 64 yards in six plays highlighted by a 31-yard Corey Landers run. Hayes Hunt hit Otasowie Dion on an eight-yard score for the first points of the night. Pike County could muster just one first down on their initial drive and were forced to punt the ball back to ACA. The Bulldog punter fumbled as he tried to punt and William Milner recovered for the Eagles at the Pike County 39-yard line. Two plays later, Landers took a direct snap and ran 39 yards for the touchdown to give the home team a 13-0 lead. The defense forced a second straight punt to give the ball back to a hot offense.
Otasowie Dion rumbled 61 yards on the first play of the possession to set up a 1st and goal at the Bulldog nine-yard line. After a Landers’ reception moved the ball to the one, Dion punched it in for a 20-0 advantage for the home team. Tyson Summers boomed the ensuing kickoff in the corner at the one-yard line and the returner was tackled inside the five to back up the Bulldogs. After three unsuccessful offensive plays, the ball was snapped over the punter’s head for a safety which extended the lead to 22-0. After the free kick, the offense drove 42 yards in seven plays and set up a 35-yard field goal by Summers to give the Eagles a 25-0 lead at the end of the first period.
The Pike County offense finally awoke in the second period and scored on their first drive in the quarter. The Bulldogs drove 60 yards in eight plays for the score and were aided by two face mask calls against the defense. As good as the first quarter was for ACA, they cooled off in the second. After a dropped pass an attempted throwaway was picked off by Pike County and returned 46 yards for a score and the lead was cut to 25-14 just like that. Both teams had the ball two more times in the half, but could not score. The Eagles were plagued by another dropped pass on the first of those two possessions.
The Bulldogs took the second-half kickoff and cut the margin to 25-21 on a seven-play 59-yard drive. ACA answered immediately as Otasowie Dion ran 63 yards on the first play of the next drive for a 1st and goal at the one-yard line. However, the scoring opportunity was not put to use as three straight running plays netted negative five yards, and a missed 23-yard field goal produced no points. A Brady Smith sack helped stop the next Pike County drive and the offense responded with points. On a 4th and 5 from the Bulldog 14-yard line, Avery Stuart hit Hayes Hunt on a quarterback throwback for a 32-21 late in the third period.
As the fourth quarter started the standout receiver from Pike County took over the game as he scored all three touchdowns for his team in the period. The first score was a 25-yard reception in the end zone on a 4th and 8 yards to cut the lead to 32-27. On the next ACA drive, the offense converted a third down and later faced a 4th and 2 at the opponent’s 49-yard line. Otasowie Dion took the direct snap and squeezed through a hole in the middle and beat the defense to the end zone to extend the lead to 39-27. The Bulldogs responded as they scored on a short pass that turned into a 40-yard score as the defense was unable to bring down the Pike County receiver. With a five-point lead, the offense had a chance to work the clock but was unable to pick up a first down as they lost four yards in three plays and were forced to punt the ball to the visitors. The Bulldogs converted two third downs, the second a spectacular 31-yard diving catch in the back corner of the end zone to give Pike County its first lead of the game, 41-39. To ACA’s credit, the offense drove the ball to the 11-yard line after a 31-yard pass to Preston Hicks and a six-yard Dion run. The unit disastrously lost twelve yards on second down from the eleven and turned a possible 28-yard winning field goal attempt into a 40-yard try. After an incomplete pass on third down, the Eagle’s final field goal attempt was blocked and Pike County held on for the win.
Otasowie Dion led the offense with 196 yards on just nine rushes with two touchdowns and caught two passes for 13 yards and a third touchdown in the game. Corey Landers finished with 80 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Hayes Hunt finished 10 for 18 for 79 yards with a touchdown. Preston Hicks and Landers led the receivers with three receptions each. On defense, William Milner led the way with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery. Josh Kreitz and Blake Shaw each had ten tackles while AC Walters had eight. Landers and Dion had five tackles each and Brady Smith had a sack.