Pepperell explodes in 2nd quarter against Coosa
For 15 minutes in Lindale, the chance of an upset seemed very real. The Coosa Eagles controlled possession, excelled on special teams and even forced a turnover. They held a double-digit lead on Pepperell in Lindale, catching the home team napping.
But the Dragons woke up pretty quickly in the second quarter, and that chance of an upset went out the window.
Pepperell scored 31 points in the second quarter and shutout the Eagles for the final three quarters as it won 45-10 in front of a packed crowd Friday night. The Dragons are now one of the four 2-0 teams in Region 7-AA.
“That’s the mark of a good football team when you can go down like that and not get flustered,” Pepperell coach Rick Hurst said.
“We kept our heads on straight, started to put together some good drives, and then continued to roll.”
The Pepperell offense centered on quarterback Trevor Thomas and running backs Tae Hammond and Hunter Chastain.
Hammond and Chastain combined for 145 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while Thomas recorded 206 total yards with a pair of scores.
Coosa running back Patrick Zinnermon ran for 51 yards and quarterback Logan Pledger scored a rushing touchdown, but nearly all of that came in the first quarter. The rest of the game, the Eagles were often left looking for a first down.
After a touchdown drive to open the game, Coosa (1-4, 0-2 Region 7-AA) forced a fumble on Pepperell’s first play from scrimmage.
The Eagles added a field goal off the turnover to go up 10-0 after one.
Hammond got the Dragons (3-1, 2-0) rolling with a 21-yard touchdown scamper early in the second. After a Coosa punt, Pepperell raced back down the field and scored on a 13-yard run from Thomas, putting the home team up 15-10.
Coosa committed a safety and an interception on their next two drives as the Pepperell defense tightened, and Thomas led his offense down the field for two more scores. Coosa coach Todd Wheeler was left watching his young team fall behind.
“We are still young and Pepperell is seasoned,” Wheeler said. “Pepperell did what Pepperell does, and when you have a backfield like that, it’s hard to slow down.”
Thomas would throw for 150 yards with 118 of those going to fellow junior Connor Chandler. Thomas said the two were good friends, and Chandler just seemed to come open whenever he made his reads.
The Dragons added two more scores in the third quarter, pushing them to a 35-point lead. A running clock was used in the fourth quarter as both teams used second string players.
Coosa plays again next week against Armuchee, while Pepperell plays fellow Region 7-AA power Model. Hurst said his team is more than excited to play its next opponents.
“Model is the game the boys have been talking about, they’ve been wanting it all year and now they’ve got it,” Hurst said.