Football: Priceville 26, Locust Fork 22

Published 12:46 am Saturday, October 17, 2015

PRICEVILLE — After dropping a gut wrenching 26-22 loss at sixth-ranked Priceville, Locust Fork coach Chris Musso summed it up with one lament:

“We came up one play short.”

With 12 seconds left and the ball at the Bulldogs 9-yard line, quarterback Chase Rice’s pass to Chase Biles was ever so slightly off the mark.

It was a game that many thought would be a walk in the park in favor of unbeaten Priceville. Quarterback in Kaleb Barker has college recruiters drooling over him, and they were facing a decimated Hornet squad that was missing six players from their season-opening starting lineup.

So how could the Hornets find a way to stay in the game and have a chance to win? Simple — keep the football away from Barker and the high-octane Bulldog offense with a ball-control running game of their own.

And the plan nearly worked to perfection, as Locust Fork controlled the football for over 38 minutes of the 48 minute contest.

Barker led the Priceville offense down the field on their first possession, but fumbled the ball attempting to pass, giving Locust Fork the ball at their own 29 with 6:42 left in the first period. From there, it was a steady diet of short runs from Jarrett Peeples, Drew Rogers, Biles, and Rice as the Hornets consumed 7 1/2 and seventeen snaps to take a 8-0 lead. Biles scored from three yards out.

Priceville answered quickly, as Barker and running back Robert Cartee ran for 18 and 29 yards, followed by a Barker-to-Parker Gwin toss for 13 more yard. That set Cartee’s 2-yard touchdown run with 10:25 left in the second quarter. Cartee followed that with a run for the 2-point conversion.

A long Hornet drive of over six minutes died on downs at the Bulldog 27-yard line, and Barker led Priceville on a quick 73-yard drive topped off with a 40-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Kyle Haynes. The Dogs led 14-8 at halftime.

Barker opened the second half when he scrambled for a 42-yard gain, followed a short time later by a 5-yard scoring scamper. The 2-point attempt failed but Priceville seemed ready to pull away with a 20-8 lead early in the third quarter.

But Locust Fork responded with another seven-minute drive concluded with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Rice, who then ran for the 2-point conversion to make it a 20-16 Priceville lead late in the third quarter.

Locust Fork had two chances to take the lead after forcing a punt, and then killing a Bulldog drive with an interception by Rice in his own end zone.

But after turning the ball over on downs in their own territory early in the final period, Priceville moved for what turned out to be the winning score. Cartee ripped off a 34-yard run followed by a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Steven Vo. Once again a try for two points failed, but Priceville led 26-16 with 5:53 left in the game.

The Hornets started their next possession at midfield, then moved forward and faced second down at the Bulldog 29 when Rice crossed up the Priceville defense with a lob pass to receiver Michael Reid. He out-jumped a defender and made a catch in traffic at the goal line with 4:18 left.

Knowing that Priceville could potentially run out the clock, Hornet kicker Drew Rogers bounced a pooch kickoff that hit a Bulldog player, and the Hornets recovered the ball in a mad scramble at the Priceville 44-yard line.

Using the running game against a tiring Bulldog defense, Locust Fork moved inside the 10-yard line with 16 seconds left in the game. On fourth down and three from the 9, Rice’s pass to Biles was just off the mark and the Hornets fell one play short of a major upset.

Barker was 9-of-10 passing for 195 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Cartee led the Bulldog rushing attack with 101 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown.

Locust Fork battered the Priceville defense for 65 rushing attempts for 284 yards. Rogers led all rushers with 145 yards on 21 carries.

Rogers and linebacker Jacob Beem led the Hornet defense with one quarterback sack apiece.

Locust Fork was eliminated from playoff contention with the defeat and a DAR win over Good Hope. The Hornets fall to 3-5 on the season and finish their home schedule next week against Blount County foe J.B. Pennington.