CLASS 5A FINALS: Pike Road wins championship in impressive fashion

Running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns to lead Pike Road to its first state championship in school history Thursday at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium. (Jason Caldwell)

By GRAHAM DUNN

BIRMINGHAM – It took just four years for the Pike Road Patriots to earn the program’s first state championship.

And it took one possession to provide the proof it would happen on Thursday.

The Patriots scored early and often on the way to an easy 51-14 win over Pleasant Grove in the Class 5A state championship at Protective Stadium on Thursday.

The win was the 14th of the season for Pike Road, completing a perfect season.

“I’m really proud of what this group has accomplished and it started long before we played in this game,” Pike Road coach Patrick Browning said. “These players had to figure out for themselves how to get it done and follow the game plan. We put it in their hands and they responded.”

The Pike Road offense took its first possession 46 yards in four plays for its first score and the rout was on.

The Patriots would score touchdowns on all but one of their five first-half possessions and continued that trend in the second half. They punted twice in the game and suffered one turnover in the fourth quarter.

The games’ MVP, Quinshon Judkins, did the majority of the damage, with 173 yards on 33 carries and three touchdowns.

“I’ve been here since 7th grade and I know the work these guys have put in,” Judkins said. “It’s a great feeling to have it pay off like this. I’m really proud of what we have accomplished as a team.”

He was almost matched by freshman Anthony Rogers, who finished with 123 yards on 17 carries and two scores. Rogers also added a 74-yard kickoff return for a score in the third period, which was his third touchdown on the night.

The Patriots built a 27-0 lead prior to the Spartans denting the scoreboard on an 80-yard drive. Before that, the Pike Road defense had held Pleasant Grove to 45 yards in total offense.

“I thought we had a great game plan and we worked very hard to execute in practice and I think you saw the results tonight,” Browning said. “I think this defense started to mesh in Week 8. They have tried to get better in practice every week. They got better tonight and got better last week.”

Pike Road scored on all but one possession in the first half with Judkins scoring twice to go along with his 111 yards, including a 43-yard jaunt for a score with 11:44 left in the first half.

Rogers added a score in the half on a 30-yard touchdown run which gave the Patriots an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

As Pike Road’s offense flourished, the defense was doing its part behind the efforts of defensive end Khurtiss Perry, who recorded six tackles including a sack and two tackles for loss in the first half.

The dominance continued with Pike Road scoring 17 points in the third period. The total included a 24-yard field goal from Landen Holley on the Patriots’ first drive of the half.

Pike Road’s offense ran 57 plays and threw just two passes. Both were completions by quarterback Iverson Hooks, who added a run for a touchdown in the first period.

The Patriots did suffer a scare late in the first quarter when Hooks was hit out of bounds and suffered an injury. But he missed just one play from scrimmage until coach Patrick Browning cleared his bench late in the game.

Pleasant Grove entered the game with a strong rushing attack led by Demarcus Lacey, who had more than 2,000 yards prior to Thursday’s game. But he was held to just 72 yards on 16 carries. He scored both touchdowns for the Spartans on runs of 5 and 15 yards.

Pleasant Grove finished with 329 yards in total offense with quarterback Alex Young passing for 212 yards on 19 of 32 attempts. He also had three interceptions.

Pike Road began its football program in 2018 and went 6-5 its first year in Class 3A. The Patriots finished with a perfect record in the regular season the next two years but lost in the second round of the playoffs.

It is one of the youngest programs to win a state title in football, dating back to the origin of the championship program in 1966.

Spanish Fort began its program in 2006 and won the Class 5A title five years later.