Pirates provide an open, shut case in BVAL opener
OAKLEY » Pittsburg coach Vic Galli didn’t mince words in summing up his feelings about Friday night’s Bay Valley Athletic League opener against Freedom.
“They beat us twice last year, and it was like a festering sore,” Galli said. “This was an emotional game.”
Pittsburg healed some of those wounds from last year with an emotional 47-33 victory over Freedom that puts the Pirates (4-1 overall, 1-0 BVAL) in the driver’s seat for the league title and an Open Division bid in the North Coast Section playoffs.
The outcome was determined during a 10:02 period of the second half when the Pirates outscored Freedom (5-1, 0-1) 22-0.
On the first play from scrimmage in the third, quarterback Joey Aguilar threw a touchdown pass to Mekel Ealy, putting the Falcons up 19-17 when the point after was missed.
Back came the Pirates seven plays later to score on Premier Murphy’s 4-yard run. Murphy then ran over the 2-point conversion to make it 25-19 Pittsburg.
Freedom started its next drive on its own 22, took eight plays to cover the 78 yards, with Aguilar and Baylei Coston hooking up for the final seven yards to make it 26-25 Freedom.
That’s when Pittsburg began its 22-0 run.
It started when Pirates linebacker Josiah Porter stripped the ball from a Freedom runner and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. That put Pittsburg back on top 33-26.
On Freedom’s next possession, Willie Harts intercepted a pass and returned it to the 14. Four plays later sophomore running back Darrion Bartley ran it in from the 5 on fourth down, and Pittsburg was ahead 40-26 with 10:52 left.
Still plenty of time, but Freedom couldn’t move on its next possession, then after an 85yard punt return by the Pirates’ A’jae Boyd was called back, Pittsburg went on an 11-play, 76-yard march, with Bartley scoring from 34 yards out. That made it 47-26 with 4:07 to go.