Pike County rolls past Daleville

BRUNDIDGE — The anticipated showdown between undefeated Pike County and once-beaten Daleville was no contest on the field.

The opportunistic Bulldogs benefited from five Daleville turnovers and dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football, clinching the region championship with a convincing 34-0 victory at home Friday night.

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“We would have never thought this score was possible,” Pike County first-year head coach Eddie Stephenson said. “But I have to credit our defense. They played great. The early turnovers set the tone.”

Pike County senior quarterback Josh Parker was the game’s biggest weapon. Parker rushed 24 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and was 6-for-10 passing for 76 yards and two more touchdowns. He also never left the field as he played safety for the Bulldogs (8-0, 6-0).

“Josh is one of the most complete high school football players I’ve ever coached,” Stephenson said. “He’s the leader on the field; he’s the leader off the field. We’ve got a lot of talented players around him, but he’s a catalyst. He sets up the other guys.”

Parker said the key to the game was establishing control early.

“Getting off to the fast start was huge,” Parker said. “This was our home game and we wanted to take it right at them.”

Daleville coach Brad McCoy, whose Warhawks fell to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in the region, said a slow start put his team in a bind.

“Pike County’s a good football team,” McCoy said. “You can’t give those guys an inch. The turnovers killed us, but I’m not sure it would have made a difference tonight even if we hadn’t turned it over.

“We’ve just got to go back to work. Fortunately, this wasn’t a season-ending game. We’ve got to ready for the playoffs, where a loss will end your season.”

Daleville had just four snaps from scrimmage in the first quarter. After forcing a Pike County punt on the opening possession, the Warhawks fumbled on their first offensive play. C.C. Griffin recovered for the Bulldogs at the Daleville 18.

Six plays later, Parker hit a quick slant pass to Jerrelle Bailey on third-and-goal for a 4-yard touchdown. Parker’s extra point made it 7-0 with 4:06 left in the first quarter.

Daleville went three-and-out, and the Bulldogs marched 51 yards in seven plays. Senior tailback Marquavous Knox took a handoff from Parker out of the shotgun, cut outside off left tackle and scored on a 13-yard score that made it 14-0 with 10:43 left in the second period.

Four plays later, Daleville quarterback Matias Flowers, who later left the game with an injured knee, had a pass tipped and Pike County’s Lacori McGuire picked it off near midfield.

Parker ran for 17 yards on first down, completed a 17-yard pass to Kendrick Jackson on third-and-six at the 26, and capped the drive with a 7-yard run up the middle that gave the Bulldogs a 21-0 lead with 6:31 left in the first half. They took that lead into halftime.

Flowers left the game on the Warhawks’ first drive of the second half. Sophomore quarterback A.J. Jones completed a nice pass to Chris Stone, but one play later Brandon Burks fumbled after a completion on a quick screen.

Pike County made it 27-0 when Parker capped a seven-play, 84-yard drive on a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:09 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs added their final score less than a minute into the fourth quarter as Parker threw an 8-yard pass to Stephen Foster on a third-and-goal play.

While Stephenson said linebackers like Josue Rodriguez and Spencer Bright played their usual standout game, the coach said his defensive line “played lights out.”

“Kendrick Jackson, Stephan Foster and Deion Nickson made a lot of plays and made it possible for the linebackers to do their thing,” the coach said.