Greene County outscores Pelham in wild game

PELHAM — Football ended for the Pelham Hornets Friday night in the second round of GHSA Class A public school state playoffs as the visiting Greene County Tigers took a 55-40 victory in an offensive showdown at the Hornet’s Nest.

The loss ends Pelham’s season in the second round of the state playoffs for the second straight season.

Both teams moved up and down the field, but the Hornets couldn’t stop Greene County senior running back Devin Wynn. Wynn scored six touchdowns behind a physical and talented offensive line, and the Tigers scored every time they had the ball with the exception on when they turned the ball over twice.

It was only the second for Pelham, who won the Region 1-A championship.

Wynn finished the night with 306 yards on 38 attempts and scored six touchdowns.

The Hornets were led by quarterback Kendrick Patterson who scored two rushing touchdowns and passed for two more. He also scored on a 2-point conversion and kicked three extra points. He completed 23 of 44 passes for 293 yards and ran for 61 yards on seven rushes. The Hornet rushing attack was led by Javoris Williams with 129 yards on 22 attempts.

The game started with the Hornets taking the opening kick off and marching 80 yards in 16 plays, using a no-huddle offense. With the running game being led by Williams and passes from Patterson to freshman Darrell Starling, the Hornets moved slowly, methodically and confidently down the field for the score. With just less than four minutes of the game clock used, the Hornets led 7-0 after Patterson kicked the extra point.

However, the Tigers responded quickly and almost only with runs straight up the middle by Wynn, who tied the game on a one-yard run.

Things didn’t go well for the Hornets offensively on the next possession. On the second play, they fumbled and Greene County had first-and-10 at the 25-yard line. However, the Hornet defense stood the test. After a screen pass to Wynn gave the Tigers a first-and-goal deep in the red zone, the Hornets stopped Wynn on the next few plays. On fourth-and-inches inside the two, Wynn fumbled trying to fight for the first down and the Hornets recovered.

Pelham could not move offensively though. Patterson tried three passes from inside his end zone that were all incomplete and then Patterson, who is also the punter, had to punt from the very back of the end zone.

Greene took over at the Hornet 31 and a few plays later, Wynn scored again.

With the Hornets driving deep into the Tigers territory, Patterson was intercepted by Malik Jones who raced all the way back to the nine yard line before finally being caught. Wynn and company scored just moments later to move their lead up to 21-7.

But the Hornets didn’t stop.

A mix of strong runs from Williams, mixed with passes from Patterson to Starling, Truen Pace and Cassius Allen, Pelham marched down the field. Patterson kept the ball around the right side on a 12-yard quarterback keeper to give Hornet fans hope as the half neared the end with a 21-14 score. The Hornets stopped Greene on the next possession and tried a Hail Mary pass as the half closed.

In the second half it was much of the same. The Hornets were unable to stop Wynn who carried the ball on most every play. However, Greene County’s Mikell Adams got a rare handoff and raced through the middle of the Pelham defense on a 27-yard touchdown run. The kick was no good, but the Tigers were up 27-14.

The Hornets responded again. Patterson connected with Pace on a 35-yard pass, then hit Allen with a pass down to the 15. It looked like the Hornet drive was about to stall, but on fourth-and-10 from the 15, Patterson found Allen in the end zone for another Hornet touchdown. The kick was no good as the Hornets trailed 27-20.

While the Tigers were moving toward another touchdown, Allen picked off a rare pass at the 20 yard line and took the ball all the way down to the 30. On the next play, Williams blew through the middle of the Tiger defense for a 30-yard touchdown run. The Hornets went for a 2-point conversion but it was no good, pulling the Hornets within a point at 27-26.

As the third quarter neared its end, the Tigers responded again. Giving Wynn a little break, Greene County handed off to CJ Richardson for a 30-yard run, another long run by Adams and then after the Tigers barely made a first down on a fourth-and-5, Richardson burst through the Hornet defense for another score. The kick gave the Tigers a 34-26 lead.

Greene County went ahead 41-26 with just under nine minutes to play.

Still, the Hornets didn’t quit. A big run by Malik Mango, then a quarterback keeper by Patterson down to the 20-yard line had the Hornets threatening again. On fourth-and-10, Patterson connected on a short pass over the middle to Mango and gave the Hornets a first down inside the 9.

A face mask penalty gave the Hornets first-and-goal at the 1 and Patterson took the ball into the end zone on the next play. The kick failed, however, and the Hornets still needed two scores trailing 41-32.

After trying an onside kick, the Tigers recovered and had the ball at midfield. Wynn scored on a 35 yard run three plays later to push the Greene County lead up to 48-32.

With less than four minutes to play the Hornets kept fighting. Patterson connected on a variety of receivers with passes to Pace, Allen, Jake Delegawl and Darryl Starling and quickly moved down to the 15-yard line.

After a roughing the passer penalty against the Tigers, Patterson connected with Starling again for the touchdown. The Hornets scored the 2-point conversion. A pass interference call and then an offisdes penalty both against the Tigers were the first two plays before Patterson scored the PAT.

Wynn ended the scoring with a final run with less than a minute to play. His 45-yard run with 47 seconds left killed any hope the Hornets had for a late comeback.