Staff writer
Peabody-Burns High School’s football team edged one step closer to a postseason contest with a win Friday over Little River, 36-6. The team has a senior night matchup Thursday at home against Goessel. With a win, they will move on to a Tuesday night game with the site to be determined.
The Warriors offense had the ball first in the contest. Opening at their own 15-yard line, the Warriors moved the ball with rushes from Storm Pickens, Abe Eldridge, and Derek Price. The drive stalled, and Price punted.
Defense from Storm Pickens, Price, Hunter Pickens, Lucas Larsen, and Clint Jones pushed the Redskins back to a third-and-13. On fourth down, Little River attempted a fake punt, but Eldridge met the running back at the Little River 34-yard line, and the PBHS offense took over on downs.
Eldridge moved the ball to the 30 on first down. Storm Pickens took the ball to the right sideline on second-and-6 and advanced it to the end zone for the score. Hunter Pickens ran the ball in for the two-point conversion. The Warriors took a lead, 8-0, with 4 minutes, 2 seconds on the clock in the first quarter.
The Warrior kickoff went into the end zone and the Redskins had the ball at their own 15-yard line. Little River moved the ball into Warrior territory, earning two new sets of downs before the end of the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Warriors’ defensive stops by Storm Pickens, Spencer Moffett, Eldridge, Hunter Pickens, and Larsen held the Redskins, and PBHS took over on their own 20-yard line.
Warriors offense struggled, and the drive went in reverse. Price punted the ball to the Little River squad. PBHS defense came up with plays from Moffett, Storm Pickens, Eldridge, and Price, and the Redskins turned the ball over on downs.
Working from the Warriors’ 34, Storm Pickens had three rushes to earn a new set of downs at the Redskins’ 35. Price gained five on first down. Hunter Pickens pitched the ball to Storm Pickens on second-and-5. Storm Pickens went around the right corner of the Redskins’ defensive line for the 30-yard score. The conversion pass fell incomplete, but PBHS led, 14-0, with 3:25 left in second quarter.
Warrior defense held Little River on the next series. The Redskins punted and the PBHS squad had the ball at midfield. With less than two minutes on the clock, the Warriors tried three pass attempts but all were incomplete. A fake punt by Price was stopped, and PBHS turned the ball over at the Warriors’ 37.
On first down, the Redskin running back dropped the ball. Storm Pickens scooped up the loose ball and headed down the right sideline for the score. Storm Pickens also tacked on a two-point conversion with a run up the middle. PBHS led, 22-0, and went into halftime with the same score.
PBHS defense started the second half. Plays from Storm Pickens, Hunter Pickens, Moffett, Eldridge, Brody Kyle, Price, and Trevor Foth helped to stop the Redskins at the Warriors 10-yard line.
The Warriors offense covered the long field with runs from Storm Pickens, Hunter Pickens, and Eldridge. On a fourth-and-2, Storm Pickens took the ball to the right side for the touchdown. Jacob Gillet added the extra point kick. PBHS was in control, 29-0.
Little River offense had possession of the ball for the remainder of the third quarter. Early in the fourth, Price recovered a Redskin fumble deep in Warrior territory and PBHS again had the ball.
Storm Pickens ran on first down and earned a new set of downs at the 19 on a second-down run. Eldridge got into the offense with several big gains. Hunter Pickens and Price advanced the ball to the Redskin 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal at the 5, Eldridge went through the middle for the score. Gillet centered the kick for the extra point but was forced to redo the kick due to a penalty. The second Gillet kick was also successful. The Warriors had a big lead, 36-0, with 5:36 left in the contest. The Warriors earned the road win, 36-6.