GADSDEN — Even the most well-made Hollywood movies wouldn’t dare include as many twists and turns as the game between Southside-Gadsden and Pinson Valley on Friday night.

The Panthers rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to emerge with a 14-10 victory, knocking out the Indians in the first round of the Class 6A state high school football playoffs.

Pinson, with star running back Nick Gibson sidelined for the second straight game due to a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain, stunned the home crowd with a 10-0 lead after three quarters, thanks to a Saul Rios 37-yard field goal right before halftime, followed by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jackie Matthews to Desmond Williams midway through the third quarter.

But Southside’s Hunter Armstrong — a middle linebacker who occasionally lines up as a wildcat quarterback but rarely throws — connected with Holt Keeling on two touchdown passes in the final 8:10, one a 99-yarder and the other a game-winning 24-yarder with 2:29 remaining.

In addition to his aerial fireworks, Armstrong helped anchor a defensive unit that gave up just 136 yards to the Indians (5-6).

“All night long, they [the Southside defense] were making plays. Even if they [Pinson Valley] made yards, we were knocking the crap out of them,” Southside coach Ron Daugherty said.

Pinson entered the wild fourth quarter with the lead and momentum. Things turned in the Indians’ favor even more when Armstrong was stopped inches short of a first down in Southside territory on a fourth-down run with 11:09 left in the game. Pinson got the ball on the Panther 33 after the turnover on downs.

However, the Southside defense drove the Indians back to the 39 after three plays and forced a punt— but the Panthers were buried on their own 2.

After a Keeling run was stopped for 1-yard loss, Southside saw 99 yards between itself and a touchdown. It covered that distance in one play, as Keeling beat single coverage, hauled in the throw from Armstrong and raced for the touchdown that cut it to 10-7 with just over eight minutes left. Just like that, momentum had swung and the faces on the Southside sideline turned from grim to giddy.

A Tribe punt gave the ball back to the Panthers on their own 30 with 6:28 left. Southside marched right back down the field, but then things went awry as an Armstrong fumble was covered by Pinson’s Javonte Perkins at the Panther 28 with 4:36 to go.

Valley was forced to punt, though, and a big return by Keeling put Southside at the Indian 24 with 2:37 left. On the first play of the drive, Armstrong hit Keeling, who broke free of a tackler and raced to the end zone to give the Panthers their first and only lead.

It appeared things were wrapped up with Pinson’s Desmond Williams fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Austin Winningham covered it for Southside at the Indian 35. However, the Panthers turned it over on downs with 1:06 left after Armstrong was stuffed on a fourth-down run.

Southside’s defense had one last big play in it. On the game’s final play, Dustin McWhorter intercepted a Jackie Williams to seal the win for the Panthers.

Daugherty said the Indians’ insistence on stopping the run helped lead to the decision to utilize the passing game more.

Torrey Hendrix, subbing for Gibson, had 87 yards rushing on 30 attempts.

Keeling finished with two catches for 123 yards and 11 rushes for 33 yards. Alaric Williams hauled in two passes for 74 yards and rushed for 17 yards on 12 attempts.