EAGLES RISE UP

Pisgah Triumphs Over Sylvania, 40-34

By Cinthia Rico
SYLVANIA – Pisgah and Sylvania clashed on the field on Friday night as the two undefeated teams engaged in a fierce battle for dominance at Ram Stadium.

One of the season’s most anticipated matchups delivered a captivating performance to the spectators as the Eagles spoiled Sylvania’s homecoming with a 40-34 triumph.

Holcomb finished 11-of-21 passing for 239 yards and four touchdowns while Gilbert had five catches for 135 yards and another 27 passing.

A 10-yard gain from Aiden Parham gave Sylvania a first-and-goal at the 11:17 mark of the second quarter, then he leaped for a 2-yard touchdown, giving them a 7-0 lead after the first quarter ended without a score. Andrade added a PAT.

A few seconds later, Pisgah responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Mason Holcomb to Luke Gilbert and a two-point conversion run from Gilbert to jump ahead 8-7.

Parham rushed for a first down at the 24, from where he ran up the middle for his second scoring run with 6:13 left in the frame.

Pisgah’s Caleb Jenkins returned the ensuing kick return to the 30 where the Eagles got to work. On a fourth down, Holcomb found Gilbert for a 42-yard touchdown pass tying the game at 14 before Legion McCrary ran for a two-point conversion as Pisgah reclaimed the lead 16-14.

Parham gave Sylvania a 21-16 lead with a touchdown run up the middle with just seconds remaining in the first half.

The second-half action was much the same, as the Eagles and Rams battled for dominance. Sylvania led midway through the third quarter, 28-16, before Pisgah overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to take the lead, then rallied once more over the final minutes to score the game-deciding touchdown with 43 seconds left to secure a 40-34 victory.

Holcomb connected with Jett Jeffery on a 60-yard touchdown pass. With 1:29 remaining in the third quarter, Landon Watkins ran for the two-point conversion, cutting Sylvania’s advantage to 28-24.

Pisgah’s onside kick, recovered by McCrary, led to a touchdown run by Gilbert, and a two-point conversion pass by Holcomb to Jeffery gave the Eagles a 32-28 lead.

Sylvania’s 11-play drive culminated in Parham’s 3-yard touchdown run with 3:31 remaining, putting the Rams ahead 34-32.
After Holcomb scrambled for four yards, Gilbert took a handoff from Holcomb and lofted a pass down the middle that Jakob Kirby dove to catch for 27 yards to the Sylvania 26-yard line.

Holcomb then hit McCrary for an 11-yard catch before scrambling for a 15-yard score with 1:24 remaining, but a penalty nullified the score.

The Eagles kept pushing as Holcomb hit Jeffery for 9 yards on the next play before connecting with Kirby for a 9-yard touchdown with 43 seconds left. Pisgah then took a 40-34 lead thanks to Gilbert’s two-point conversion.

Sylvania started its final drive at its own 40-yard line, but Holcomb intercepted a Rams pass to seal the Eagles’ victory.
Running back Aiden Parham led the Rams with 42 carries for 277 yards and five touchdowns.

With the win, the Eagles snapped Sylvania’s perfect run as the Rams slipped to a 4-1 overall record for the season and Pisgah improved to a 5-0 overall while also breaking a five-game losing streak against the Rams.

Pisgah returns to Region 7 action this week as they travel to Huntsville to take on Whitesburg Christian (0-5, 0-3).