Published: August 18, 2008 09:09 am            

Pittsburg outscores Hornets, 2-0

Pirates make two early touchdowns stand up

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg Pirates made a couple of early scores stand up for a 2-0 win over the Athens Hornets in a controlled scrimmage Saturday morning.

“We started slow, but then got into it,” fourth-year Hornet head coach Jim Wommack said. “It was good to see our kids compete the way they did.”

Pittsburg scored twice in its first 15-play series. That was all the AHS defense needed to see, throwing a shutout the rest of the way and coming up with a couple of turnovers on Uriah Coleman and Taylor Jackson interceptions.

The Hornets weren’t immune to turnovers. The AHS offense lost a pair of fumbles, one on the Pittsburg one-yard line. The other was also deep in Pittsburg territory.

“We moved the ball fairly well, especially on the ground,” Wommack said. “But we have to eliminate the turnovers.”

Wommack said Stephen Blakemore ran the ball well, as did Phillip Griffin.

“It was a good scrimmage for us,” Wommack said. “We don’t look at the scoreboard as much as what we did right and what we need to work on. That’s what you want from a scrimmage.”

The Hornets didn’t come out of the scrimmage with a clean bill of health. Junior wide receiver/linebacker Randall Gamble sustained an injury and could be out for two weeks, Wommack said.

In the sub-varsity scrimmages, both the Hornet junior varsity and freshman teams tied their Pittsburg counterparts.

All three AHS teams are scheduled to be at home Friday against Quinlan Ford in a controlled scrimmage. Action begins with the sub-varsity squads at 6 p.m. The varsity scrimmage is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Hornets are set to open the season at home the following week — Friday, Aug. 29 — against the Wills Point Tigers in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

— BENNY ROGERS

        

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