-
Perrin Pirate’s Casey Beach runs the ball during first half action of the Pirates’ game with Bryson Friday. Beach and the Pirates held tough for three quarters before falling 72-48. Photo/Brian Smith
After a slow _rst quarter offensively, Bryson and Perrin turned the teams’ Friday, Oct. 21 game into an offensive shootout.
After a tie game at the half, the Cowboys broke the game open in the fourth quarter and made the 72-48 win over the Pirates seem more of a rout than it really was. Bryson goes to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in district play with Perrin slipping to 3-5 and 1-2.
Perrin drew first blood with Ryan Elrod’s 3-yard run to pay dirt putting the Pirates up 6-0 less than three minutes in.
The defenses held tough the rest of the quarter, most notably Bryson’s Layton Perez’s quarterback sack on fourth down to snuff out a drive in the _rst.
Perez then showed his offensive skills, rushing the ball inside the 10 to set the table for Chance Hand’s 2-yard jaunt around the left side. The conversion failed with 2:01 left in the _rst.
After Cash Bowen, Connor Kelley and Miguel Ramirez forced a turnover on downs, it was Perez who went 49 yard on a TD run in the opening minute of the second. Noah Justus added the conversion for a 14-6 lead. Following a Perrin turnover, it was Hand again going 35 yards around the left side again to the promised land. Justus was again true to extend the lead to 22-6. Perrin was far from done, using Dylan Trammell’s run to the Bryson nine. He then _nished the job. The conversion was good to draw the hosts within 22-20.
Perrin caught a break recovering the ensuing kickoff at the Cowboy 11. Pirate quarterback Cameron Tune scored the touchdown with 5:39 left in the half. Cash Bowen’s second blocked kick of the half kept Bryson up 22-20.
Tune intercepted a pass on the next drive for a touchdown to give the Bucs a 26-22 lead.
Bryson held its ground using runs by Perez and Caleb Allen to set a scoring toss from Evan Ford to Bowen who made a leaping grab for the score and a 28-26 Cowboys lead.
Beach made a leaping grab of his own and motored 48 yards to pay dirt. The kick was good for a 34-28 Pirate lead.
Ford and Bowen combined again with seconds left in the half. A bad snap kept the game tied at 34 at halftime.
The seesaw battle continued in the third, Ford and Bowen combining for a 17-yard TD toss on the Cowboy opening drive. Justus’ conversion extended the lead to 42-34. Trammell then returned the ensuing kick for a score. The kid was off the mark keeping Bryson up two.
Beach’s interception was for naught as the ball was punted away. Bryson took advantage off a penalty with Alle scoring on a 1-yard run. Justus added the kick for a 50-40 lead.
After a Perrin score cut the lead again to two, Bryson used runs by Allen and a Ford completion to Landon Foster to set up a 2-yard Allen TD run, Bryson leading 58-48 with 7:45 to go.
Tyler Cotter’s QB sacks and Bowen defensively forced another Perrin punt. Perrin shot itself in the foot with penalty for a 1stand- goal at the four. Ford and Foster combined for the scoring toss to extend the lead to 66-48.
Jameson Pierce’s defense forced a turnover on downs late with Perez _nishing the night with a 29-yard scoring run up the gut with less than a minute left.
