In a crowded District 9-4A Division I playoff picture, Pine Tree recorded a huge 35-25 victory Friday over Henderson as the Pirates handed the Lions their first defeat in league action.
Pine Tree improved to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in league play while Henderson fell to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in district action.
The big statistic in this hard-fought showdown? The Pirates won the turnover margin at plus-3 (5-2). And Pine Tree senior defensive back Kalil Deckard had a big hand in that as he nabbed three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
The Lions out-gained the Pirates, 325-234, but Henderson could not overcome the minus-3 number in the turnover battle.
One of the key turnovers and pivotal moments in the contest came midway through the third quarter. After Pine Tree took a 21-17 lead on a LÐÔÊӽ紫ý™Marion Hunter eight-yard run with 5:41 left in the third, the Lions fumbled on the ensuing kickoff. A few plays later, Pine Tree turned its 4-point lead into a two-score edge on a one-yard touchdown run by Hunter for a 28-17 lead with 4:09 to go in the third.
On the final play of the third quarter, Henderson pulled to within 3 points on a Jordan Ervin five-yard touchdown run, and the Lions added the two-point conversion to make it a 28-25 game.
But the Pirate offense churned out a rugged eight-play, 71-yard drive, capped off on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cates to Jordan Taylor ÐÔÊӽ紫ý“ on third-and-12, no less ÐÔÊӽ紫ý“ to reinstall a double-digit lead for Pine Tree at 35-25 with 8:47 to go.
From there, the Pirate defense made the lead stand as DeckardÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s third interception of the night thwarted HendersonÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s last real hope.
Jesstin Starling rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries to lead Henderson while Hunter gained 77 rushing yards and two scores on 14 carries to pace Pine Tree.
Henderson dictated play early as the Pine Tree offense struggled finding its footing early on with two punts and two interceptions through its first four possessions. But the Pirate defense did enough to keep it close, and DeckardÐÔÊӽ紫ý™s 32-yard interception return for a touchdown tied the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter.
After Henderson regained the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Ivan Navarro for a 10-7 edge with 5:23 left in the first half, the Pirates pieced together their only offensive scoring drive of the first half thanks to a couple of nice runs by Cates, including a 32-yard gain by the senior quarterback to jumpstart the Pine Tree offense.
Following a 12-yard pass to Jaeden Williams, Cates picked up 18 more yards on a run as Pine Tree penetrated the red zone for the first time. A few plays later, Cates scored on a two-yard quarterback sneak to give the Pirates their first lead at 14-10 with 31 seconds left in the half.
Pine Tree will visit Tyler Chapel Hill next week while Henderson is on a bye.
