Football: Pierce leads unbeaten Summit past Bobcats

Summit senior Andrew Pierce seemed to do it all Friday night in Summit’s 38-7 win at John Overton’s Nick Coutras Field in Nashville. Pierce led the Spartans with 75 yards receiving and two touchdowns, picked up 30 yards on four carries, returned three kickoffs for 30 yards and picked off a pass that also led to points.

Was there anything he didn’t do?

“I didn’t score three touchdowns instead of two,” he answered with polite honesty when asked after the contest. “I’m just glad to be 5-0. All that hard work in the summertime paid off.”

“He’s such a blessing,” said Summit coach Brian Coleman after the victory. “This is his first year to play football. He’s already turned into a great leader and we’re happy to have him. He’s a competitor, a fighter.”

The Spartans, who improved to 5-0 overall with the non conference win, would need that blessing sooner than expected. After putting up 14 points quickly in the first quarter on an explosive 54-yard run by Keaten Wade and a 7-yard sprint around left tackle by George Odimegwu, Summit lost Odimegwu for the night to open of the second quarter.

Coleman said it was just precautionary.

“He (Odimegwu) got a little shoulder stinger," he said. "He’s been fighting it since seven-on-sevens so we just decided to let him rest.”

That’s when Pierce stepped up.

“I told them, I’m going to throw y’all on my back and let’s go,” Pierce said. 

Five plays later, Pierce snagged a 30-yard pass from Destin Wade to put the Spartans up 21-0. Only 20 seconds later, Joseph Bell charged into the backfield, forcing a fumble that Keaten Wade scooped up and strolled over the goal line to make it 28-0 with well over nine minutes left in the first half.

The Bobcats (0-5) got their only score mid-way of the second quarter on a 6-yard jaunt by Mychael Yates.

The half ended on a frightening play when the Spartans John Casey went high trying to catch a scoring pass, only to have his legs cut from under him, causing him to land awkwardly. Casey was immobilized by trainers and coaches almost immediately. By the time an ambulance arrived nearly 20 minutes later, Casey was moving his extremities and cheered by both sets of fans as he raised his right hand in a thumbs up as paramedics prepared to transport him for a precautionary examination at a local hospital.

The second half saw more of a see-saw battle fought between the 20-yard lines after the Spartans picked up a pair of safeties in just four minutes. On the first, the Spartan defense forced an intentional grounding penalty in the Bobcat end zone with the second coming on Kriston Arnold’s sack of the Overton quarterback.

Destin Wade picked up 163 yards for the Spartans, throwing for 113 and rushing for another 50, while Keaten Wade led the team with 106 yards and a score on just six carries.

Overton’s Robert Corbin led all rushers with 138 yards on 12 rushes. The Bobcats were flagged 14 times for 125 yards. 

“Overton has a big offensive line, but I thought our defensive line played well," Coleman said. "That was the second best offensive line we’ve played all year behind Franklin.”

Even with the big win, Coleman had concerns, especially with the distractions of Homecoming Week up next.

“It was ugly from the start," he said. "We were sloppy at times, too many penalties. We had different people in different positions so that’s something we’ve got to work on this week.”

Summit will host Clarksville Northwest next week while Overton travels to region foe Cane Ridge.

Summit 38, Overton 7

SHS – 14 14 2 8 – 38

OHS – 0 7 0 0 – 7

SCORING SUMMARY

1Q S – Keaten Wade 54 run (Eiljah Mooney kick)

1Q S – George Odimegwu 7 run (Mooney kick)

2Q S – Andrew Pierce 30 pass from Destin Wade (Mooney kick)

2Q S – Keaten Wade 12 fumble return (Mooney kick)

2Q O – Mychael Yates 6 run (Jaun Agabo kick)

3Q S – Safety (intentional grounding in end zone)

4Q S – Safety (Kriston Arnold tackle in end zone) 

4Q S – Pierce 31 pass from D. Wade (kick failed). 

PASSING

Summit Destin Wade 8-21-0-2 for 113 yards; Overton Dawayne Jackson 0-4-1-0, 0 yards; Robert Corbin 2-4-1-0, (-2 yards)

RUSHING

SUMMIT 39-271 (Keaten Wade 6-106; Destin Wade 7-50; Andrew Pierce 4-30; Jakalean Cotton 10-27; George Odimegwu 4-24; Tre Hunter 5-19; Grayson Hill 1-12; Ashton Lebel 1-5; John Casey 1-(-2).; OVERTON 34-165 (Robert Corbin 12-138; Mychael Yates 14-44; Jaylon Griggs 3-18; Michael Martin 1-(-3); Christopher Price 1 (-8); Dawayne Jackson 2-(-16)

RECEIVING

SUMMIT Andrew Pierce 3-75; Zac Sitzer 1-18; Keaten Wade 1-11; Ashton Lebel 1-5; Tre Hunter 2-4.; OVERTON Michael Martin 1-0; Cannon Carpenter 1-(-2).