Red Devils keep it going with 2nd-half surge 40-38

MOUNTAIN PINE — Sometimes it is just good to hold on for a win.

Mountain Pine can attest after rallying from 12 points down to beat Mineral Springs

40-38 Friday night at Stanley May Field.

Sophomore quarterback Collin Smith’s 35-yard touchdown run up the middle put the Red Devils ahead with

10:15 left. After forcing a punt, Mountain Pine kept the ball for

16 plays and ran out the clock. Mountain Pine is 4-1, 2-0 in

2A-7 to Mineral Springs’ 0-5 and 0-2 records.

“We knew they were talented, but I thought if we could get on them quick, and get them down two or three touchdowns, we could get them down,” Mountain Pine head coach Sam Counce said. “We couldn’t get them down and we couldn’t put them away.”

Mountain Pine, 0-10 last season, has more victories than in the last six years.

“Coming from what we did last year, not having a season, and now we are 4-1,” Counce said. “I am so proud of them. “These guys stepped up.” Smith, scoring two touchdowns, finished with 18 carries for 120 yards. Senior Fay Haywood carried 23 times for

137 yards and two scores while junior Elijah Browning ran 18 times for 69 yards and a score.

“Eli and Fay stepped up for us tonight,” Counce added. “Collin did a good job too.”

“(Mineral Springs) lined up and got inside and they blitzed us a lot They were doing a good job; they are a good team. We just weren’t picking up those guys like we need to.”

Mountain Pine led 14-6 in the first quarter, Chad Graves with a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown, but trailed 26-14 at halftime.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge and we knew were going to have to play hard,” Counce said. “At halftime, we told them, ‘If you come back and win this game, that’s how champions are made.”’

Browning’s 30-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 26-20 with 9:34 left in the third quarter.

“If we can come out and score, then we will be in good shape,” Counce summarized his halftime speech. “And we did, but I wasn’t planning on them scoring right back.

“They did it two more times, but we just kept coming and finally we got a stop.”

Senior Peyton Haddan’s 61-yard touchdown pass to junior running Tahji Beal made it 3220. Beal led the Hornets with 10 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns, also recording five catches for 187 yards with three scores.

“We got caught in some bad situations,” Counce said. “(Beal) about killed us all night.”

Haddan was 10 for 20 passing for 270 yards with four touchdowns. Senior tight end Raheem Brown caught five passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Mountain Pine plays another winless 2A-7 team, Murfreesboro, on the road this week.