PIKE ROAD-SE: Mustangs pull a shocker over Pats
Stanhope's Kameron Stokes (99) and Thomas Williams (91) stop Pike Road’s Kaleb Foster in Friday’s game between the Mustangs and Patriots. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
MILLBROOK -- Pike Road coach Ed Rigby knew the obstacles facing his team before he ever got off the bus for Friday’s 6A Region 2 matchup at Foshee-Henderson Stadium.
Stanhope Elmore coach Brian Bradford has been facing the same personnel issues all season.
A short-handed Pike Road team couldn’t overcome five turnovers and three botched plays on special teams, dropping a 14-13 decision to the Mustangs in an error-filled battle for survival.
The loss was the first in region play for the Patriots (5-3), but doesn’t change the winner-take-all battle for the region title next Thursday at Cramton Bowl against G.W. Carver.
“You’ve got everything to play for,” Rigby said. “Everything you came into the season to play for is still right there in front of us. Nothing has changed.”
Rigby had to know his offense would struggle without star running back Anthony Rogers, who had six 100-yard performances in the first seven games and averaged 196.9 all-purpose yards per game. He tried to hold his squad together as the flu ravaged his team, but “it all crumbled today,” he said. “We had multiple starters out, one after the other got the flu. The kids who filled in fought their butts off tonight.”
With punter Mac Ceman and placekicker Brennan Tormey sidelined, special teams took a hit as one punt was blocked, freshman Robert Macrory couldn’t field a low snap and fell on another attempt and an extra-point attempt to tie the game was missed late in the first half.
The blocked punt led to a Stanhope Elmore touchdown, a Pike Road fumble led to another score and the missed extra point allowed the Mustangs to overcome five interceptions that almost resulted in a fifth straight loss.
“God is good,” Stanhope Elmore coach Brian Bradford said. “We’ve got a great group of kids. Senior Night, last home game on this field, to go out like that, I couldn’t be more proud for them. The season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to, but we tell them keep doing the right things and put your faith in God.”
Ten turnovers aside, the game had a definite defensive feel to it with Rogers standing on the sideline in street clothes.
“He’s a little sick right now,” Rigby said. “He’ll be back this coming week, though.”
“That’s the game of football,” Bradford said. “We’ve got nine starters out from the first of the year with injuries. I hate that he didn’t get to play.”
Cortrell Mandosia blocked a punt midway through the first quarter and two plays later, Jackson Thomas caught a pass from Jacob Bryant and lateraled to Tevin Landrum for the final 10 yards and a 7-0 lead.
Thomas, one of the players honored in pre-game festivities on Senior Night, caught a 21-yard pass from Bryant on the fourth play of the second quarter to give Stanhope Elmore a stunning 14-0 lead.
“It feels great,” Thomas said. “We’ve been wanting to win. The season hasn’t been going like we wanted it, but we just came out and executed and did our thing on both ends. We kept our head up the whole game and kept fighting.”
DJ Williams, who had 104 of Pike Road’s 126-yard rushing total, broke a 59-yard run up the middle for the Patriots’ first touchdown and Kaleb Foster scored on a quarterback sneak with 43 seconds remaining, but the missed extra-point attempt following the second touchdown left the Mustangs clinging to a 14-13 lead at the half.
In the second half, the Patriots appeared to have the upper hand but could never get out of their own way. Foster tripped on a play six inches from the goal line and Jaquize Buycks recovered the fumble for the Mustangs.
“You score that, there’s no telling what happens,” Rigby said. “We just had a miscue.”
After an exchange of punts and a Stanhope Elmore interception, the Patriots started marching again but Foster’s pass in the end zone for Jordan King was tipped and intercepted by Ortez Morris.
After a Stanhope Elmore punt, Pike Road would take over on its 9-yard line with 66 seconds left and marched to a first down at the Mustang 20 with 29 seconds remaining, only to have Foster lose the handle on the ball when he was sacked.
Karnovious Cunningham scooped up the fumble at the 30 and raced down the sideline to the Pike Road 2 before the Mustangs took a knee to run out the clock.
“Our defense helped us out a lot tonight,” said Thomas, who had 55 yards on six receptions and 46 yards on eight carries. “They came up with a lot of turnovers and really helped the offense tonight.”
A season full of disappointment that included six losses in the first seven games was at least forgotten for a few moments as Stanhope Elmore players celebrated with their fans.
“There’s no quit in them,” Bradford said of his players. “We had a lot of miscues. The defense played outstanding tonight. They played hard the whole time.”
Stanhope Elmore (2-6) travels to Cramton Bowl to play Park Crossing next Friday.