Pine scores the first 30 points in victory
Published 11:47 am Monday, September 15, 2014
Pine jumped out to a 30-0 lead over the game’s opening 12:31, putting up four touchdowns in its first 10 plays from scrimmage in a 44-20 victory over Varnado at home Friday.
Pine (2-0) scored on its second, fourth, fifth and 10th plays from scrimmage.
The Raiders won the toss and deferred. Pine’s defense forced Varnado (1-1) to punt and took over at the Wildcats’ 49.
Derrick Dillon, who ran for 101 yards with a touchdown while throwing for 125 and two scores, rushed for eight yards on the first play, bringing the ball to the 41. Tory Robertson got the call on the next play and took advantage. Robertson ran 41 yards for the score. Dillon ran in the 2-point conversion, and the Raiders were up 8-0 with 9:36 left in the first quarter.
“I ran the speed,” Robertson said. “I saw it was wide open and then broke free, no defenders in sight, so I ran in for the score. I had only one man to beat. I beat him and got in for the score.”
After a touchback on the kickoff, Varnado drove to Pine’s 28 but turned it over on downs on the drive’s ninth play.
Pine took over, and Devonta Pigott took the first play for 20 yards on a speed sweep. Dillon juked a few defenders on the next play, found an opening and ran 52 yards for the score. Adarrius Berry, who had 74 rushing yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, ran in for two, and it was 16-0 at the 5:09 mark.
Varnado was unable to get a first down on a fake punt and Pine scored on the first play from scrimmage when Dillon hit Pigott with a 35-yard pass. Pigott made a leaping catch in the end zone, making it 22-0. Dillon was good for two and it was 24-0 with 3:35 to go in the first.
“Early, Tory had a big play touchdown, Devonta had a big touchdown early on, and after that, our offensive line took over,” Pine coach Bradley Seal said. “We did what we wanted to up front, and that was the key to the win.”
At this point, Pine had run five plays for 156 yards and three touchdowns.
The Raiders forced a punt and got possession at their 27. Five plays later, Dillon hooked up with Paul Gatusso on a 34-yard scoring pass. The 2-point pass was incomplete, but Pine was up 30-0 with 11:29 remaining in the first half.
“Coming in the week Monday, I said the one thing we can’t let happen was we can’t let them score quick and get on the board a lot in the first quarter,” Varnado coach Scott Shaffett said. “They’ve got the type of offense that can put up a lot of points quick. I kind of felt that way all week long, and we did just that. We allowed them to get on the board quick. We didn’t eat enough time on offense. They’ve got a good ball club. Take nothing away from them. They’re the type of team that will jump on you in the first quarter just like they did us. Then they’ll fight and play the rest of the ballgame, and they’ve got a potent offense, and their defense is very good as well.”
Pine continued to lead 30-0 until there was 3:39 on the clock when Varnado got on the board. The Wildcats completed a nine-play, 65-yard drive with J.J. Williams finding D.J. Jefferson for a 13-yard score. The 2-point run was no good, keeping it 30-6.
It remained 30-6 until the midway point of the third period when the teams combined for three touchdowns over 1:34. Berry tacked six onto Pine’s lead with a seven-yard run. Berry attempted to run in for two but fumbled. Jordan Galloway recovered for the 2-point conversion, upping the advantage to 38-6.
Varnado’s special teams came up with a big play on the ensuing kickoff. Nick Darden took in the kickoff inside of his 20 and went the distance. Darden returned the kickoff 82 yards, and Pine’s lead was trimmed to 38-12. Varnado went for two, but Blake Nielsen intercepted the pass and the score remained 38-12 with 5:27 to go.
Pine put up its final points when Rion Terrell ran nine yards to pay dirt to make it 44-12 after the 2-point conversion attempt came up short on a run at the 4:11 mark of the third.
Varnado tallied the game’s final points with less than five minutes left in the game. Darden took a handoff from his own 15, ran right and raced 85 yards with Delrick Abrams giving him a key block along the way. Wilbert Gray was good for two to reflect the 44-20 final.
Both teams continue their seasons on the road Friday. Pine stays in Washington Parish and goes against Bogalusa (0-2). The Lumberjacks lost to West St. John 19-12.Varnado is battling Jewel Sumner.