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Pike Downs Andalusia
(David Mundee)
(www.dothaneagle.com
BRUNDIDGE - The running backs
for Pike County and Andalusia were the star attractions prior to Friday’s
showdown between the two teams.
It was a quarterback, though, that stole the show at Brundidge’s Bulldog
Stadium.
Pike County senior Tobias Lee threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns,
sparking Class 3A’s top-ranked Bulldogs to a 32-7 win over 4A’s
ninth-ranked Andalusia Bulldogs.
Both team’s defenses kept vaunted running games mostly in check. The
difference, as it turned out, was the passing game, especially Lee, who
was 12-of-17 on the night, including several forward shovel passes to the
outside to get Bulldog runners to the edge quicker.
“Tobias was nervous about things, but he made good things happen,” Pike
County head coach Wayne Grant said. “He has a nice touch on the ball
sometimes and he gets the ball to where it is supposed to be. Some of
those passes couldn’t have been thrown any better.”
Andalusia focused defensively on Pike County star running back James
Jackson, a Class 3A state back of the year finalist for last year’s state
champion Bulldog team. The visitors placed a defender on Pike County’s
strong side who was assigned to shadow Jackson.
The strategy worked as the senior had only 51 yards on 14 carries.
However, Andalusia couldn’t match Lee’s abilities.
“We were trying to take away James Jackson and their running game, but
they beat us throwing the ball,” Andalusia coach Tom Causey said. “Lee
made the throws when he needed to.”
Andalusia also hurt its cause in the game, turning the ball over six
times, though two came after the game was decided. The visitors also had
seven penalties - all motion or offsides infractions.
“We did what we couldn’t do - lay the ball on the ground and gave up big
plays,” Causey said. “We also had way too many penalties that stopped
drives.”
While Lee did most of the damage, Darrell Reynolds was also a factor for
Pike County’s offense. Reynolds earned 64 yards rushing on 12 carries with
a touchdown and caught four passes for 99 yards with two touchdowns, one
off one of the forward shovel passes. He added an interception on defense.
It was Reynolds’ running ability that pushed the first score on the board.
Moving to quarterback for a series, Reynolds ran three QB draws up the
middle for 12, 10 and 14 yards to set up a 1-yard sneak for a touchdown
with 10:04 to go in the second quarter. The extra point failed, leaving it
6-0.
Lee then got the passing game cranked up on the ensuing PCHS series,
completing 3-of-3 passes in a 39-yard drive that helped the Bulldogs
capitalize on an Andalusia turnover. The last pass was a 17-yard scoring
strike to Chad Passmore. A two-point try failed, leaving it 12-0 with 5:08
to go before halftime.
Pike County added to the lead on its first two possessions of the second
half. After a Jackson kickoff return of 36 yards put the Dogs on the
Andalusia 44, Lee lofted a 34-yard TD pass to Rodderick Griffin two plays
later for an 18-0 lead.
A series later, Lee fired out the shovel to the outside to Reynolds, who
broke a tackle then blazed down the right sideline for a touchdown. The
play was ruled by the head official as a forward pass, making it a 47-yard
TD pass. Griffin added the point after, boosting the margin to 25-0.
Andalusia finally dented the scoreboard early in the fourth as Ladarrius
McNeil busted up the middle on a 23-yard scoring run. Gillis Morgan added
the point after, making it 25-7 with 10:51 left.
Pike County finished the scoring on a 30-yard Lee to Reynolds touchdown
pass midway in the fourth quarter.
The Pike County defense also had a solid night, allowing just 193 total
yards and a touchdown to an Andalusia offense that averaged 32.8 points a
game last year.
“That was a tremendous effort against a team like Andalusia as they have a
good ball club,” Grant said. “To hold them to seven points is a tremendous
effort by our team and staff.”
Pike County’s staff constantly put six defensive players on the line,
sometimes seven, and played man-to-man on Andalusia receivers. The
strategy paid off. Andalusia did earn 188 rushing yards, doing so on 38
carries. However, it had only four yards passing on 2-of-7 with two
interceptions.
“We tried to take their running game out as I didn’t think they had a very
strong passing game and evidently they didn’t,” Grant said.
McNeil earned 101 yards on 13 carries to lead Andalusia.
Quarterback Matt Mellown had 38 and Michael Berry 31 yards.
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