Pine Tree edges Van

Published 2:06 am Saturday, August 31, 2013

Pine Tree 42, Van 38

LONGVIEW — There was a lot of hype surrounding Pine Tree’s season opener on Friday night because of the new Pirate Stadium.

Well, there was also a football game taking place, and the fans in attendance got their money’s worth.

After forcing a turnover with just more than two minutes left, Van moved down the field and had third and 7 with one second remaining on the clock. Peter Maddox’s pass on the final play went over the end zone, giving Pine Tree a 42-38 victory.

The Pirates led 42-24 entering the fourth quarter, looking poised to win big in their new venue.

Van had different plans as Matt Savis scored from 13 yards out to cut the score to 42-32 early in the fourth quarter after Maddox threw a pass to Luke McGowan for the two-point conversion.

In between the touchdown and the conversion, there was a more than 10-minute delay with Van’s Andrew Platter being carted off on a stretcher.

The Vandals then converted an onside kick that was recovered by Hunter Redmond. Five plays later, Savis scored on a 1-yard run – his fourth touchdown run of the night. Van missed the point after to make the score 42-38.

Van forced Pine Tree’s first punt of the game on the next drive, but Pine Tree responded by stopping the Vandals on fourth down in their own territory.

On fourth and 9 from the Van 24, Pine Tree ran a reverse to Mason Hays, who ran the ball toward the end zone and appeared to have come close to a touchdown. As one official pointed that Hays stepped out of bounds short of the goal line, another official ruled that he fumbled, and it would be a touchback for Van. The Vandals were given the ball at their own 20-yard-line, setting up the final drive.

Hays had a huge night for the Pirates, catching six passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns. His first scoring reception came with one second left in the first quarter on a 33-yard strike from Dalvin Manns to give Pine Tree a 14-7 lead.

After Van scored 10 points in eight seconds – a 25-yard field goal from Josef Ruiz and a 33-yard pass from Maddox to Savis – Manns connected with Hays again, this time a 13-yard scoring play to help Pine Tree regain the lead at 21-17.

In the final minute of the half, Manns threw a long pass up to Hays, who jumped over the defender to tip the ball then grabbed the ball on the way down and ran it in for a 64-yard score, giving Pine Tree and 28-17 halftime edge. Hays also had a 94-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter after the Pirates stopped the Vandals on the 2-yard-line that gave Pine Tree a 42-24 lead.

Manns had a solid performance in his first start at quarterback. The senior was 16 of 19 through the air for 385 yards and five touchdowns. Aside from the four scoring passes to Hays, Manns also threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Smith on the first play of the second half.

The loss for Van overshadowed a 251-yard rushing night for Savis on 42 carries with the four touchdown runs. He also had two receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. Maddox was 22 of 35 for 287 yards through the air with a touchdown and an interception. Luke McGowan led the receiving for the Vandals with 11 catches for 119 yards.

The game featured 1,065 total yards and 47 first downs.

Two key defensive players for Pine Tree were Tre Devine, who was in on several tackles and intercepted a pass late in the first half, and Edwin Paz, who sacked Maddox in the final 20 seconds on Van’s final drive.