After a promising finish to the 2011 season, South Pike’s football team was expected to be among the favorites in Class 4A South State this season.
That was until former coach Willie Brown was fired two months before the season started. It’s been downhill from there as South Pike has now started the year with seven straight losses.
Columbia quarterback Edward Forbes scored three touchdowns and benefited from a blown call Friday night in the Wildcats’ 33-12 win over South Pike.
In a continuing trend, South Pike turned it over three times, which netted Columbia 14 points, and failed to create any tempo offensively.
“We still need consistency on our drives and learn not to make mental errors that prevent those drives,” South Pike coach Michael Andrews said. “You can’t do those things if you expect to win the ball game.”
Columbia looked like the better team on Friday — a complete turnaround from the past several years.
Former Tylertown coach Walter Denton has transformed a 0-10 team last season into a 5-2 team with a perfect 2-0 district record.
“Our kids are so young that they are learning how to play a little bit,” said Denton, who left Tylertown in January to take over Columbia’s reeling program. “We got a long way to go and we’re not a very good football team right now, but we are getting better. They are starting to realize they can win.”
Meanwhile, South Pike’s playoff hopes are just about diminished. The Eagles technically still have an outside chance, but that likely requires wins in their final three games against Lawrence County, Purvis and North Pike.
“That’s all we are aiming for right now,” Andrews said.
Columbia and South Pike played an even-keeled game throughout most of the first half.
South Pike’s defense held Columbia to 26 rushing yards in the half and five first downs for the entire game. Yet it was Columbia’s big-play ability that was the difference maker. The Wildcats used plays of 24, 21, 43, 55, 31 and 44 yards to set up their five scoring drives.
Columbia struck first early in the game when they recovered freshman Marquez Andrews’ fumble at South Pike’s 28-yard line. Two plays later, Forbes hit running back Tomaz Conerly on a wheel route for a 21-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
South Pike pieced together a strong drive on the ensuing possession, capped by a Virgil Dawson 5-yard run to make it 7-6. That would be the closest South Pike got the entire game, however.
Controversy ensued on Columbia’s next drive and completely changed the outcome of the game. Forbes launched a deep pass 43 yards down the right sideline to his brother, Hakeem Forbes, who briefly caught the ball before it hit the ground and rolled 10 yards down the field and out of bounds.
The line judge from the opposite side of the field meandered over to the sideline and inexplicably ruled the play a catch, despite the ball still sitting some 10 yards away.
Andrews made his way halfway onto the field, demanding an explanation, but the officials had none.
Savon Lewis broke a 24-yarder two plays later for a touchdown, giving the Wildcats a 14-6 lead at the half.
“That to me was the game-changer at that time. That kind of changed the whole tempo of the game and changed the mentality of the play calling,” Andrews said. “I don’t want to say anything about the referee’s call. I questioned them about the call and I didn’t understand the call. The ball was out of bounds.”
South Pike could never bounce back, and Columbia put up a 19-spot in the third quarter to extend its lead to 33-12.
Edward Forbes added a 44-yard run in the quarter and connected with Hakeem Forbes on 55-yard pass that made it 26-6. South Pike appeared to have Columbia stopped when Forbes fumbled the snap, but the lanky 6-foot-3-inch quarterback rolled to his left, signaled to his brother to go long and lofted a pass near the South Pike 34-yard line. Hakeem Forbes did the rest, grabbing the ball from a South Pike defender and racing down the sideline for the score.
“(Edward) has great knowledge and he’s a great athlete,” Denton said. “As he goes, we go. We just threw it up and made a play. That gives our kids confidence.”
The Eagles’ offense was once again inconsistent. Marquez Andrews started over senior Destin Mcghee as the offense went back under center and ditched the shotgun.
The results were mixed. Andrews completed 1 of 5 passes for 15 yards and carried it eight times for minus-19 yards.
Michael Andrews rotated five different runners who accumulated 200 yards on 43 carries. Senior LaWarren Pickens led the way with 93 yards on 11 carries, all of which came in the second half. Chris Pittman added 41 yards on eight carries.
“I’m proud of the guys’ effort,” Andrews said. “I’m never going to give up on them.”
Wide receiver Darreal Cook scored South Pike’s final touchdown on a 5-yard sweep run. The score was set up by a 60-yard run from Pickens.
South Pike travels to Lawrence County on Friday and Columbia is back at home to host North Pike.
