Van's Jaxon Moffatt hands the ball off to Austin Moffatt during Friday's September 6, 2024, game against Pine Tree at Pirate Stadium. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)

The Pine Tree Pirates moved to 2-0 on the season with a hard-fought 36-30 win Friday over Van at Pirate Stadium.

With the Vandals (1-1) near midfield and a chance to get the game-tying touchdown in the final 2 minutes, Pine Tree’s Peyton Davis came through clutch with a sack on fourth down to seal the win for the Pirates in a game they led from the start but had to hold on to late.

Pine Tree built a 22-6 lead by halftime but Van battled back with two touchdowns off two Pirate turnovers to open the second half to make things interesting.

After a Pine Tree fumble on the opening possession of the second half, Van’s Caden Rowe hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jaxon Moffatt to make it 22-13. Then the Vandals recovered the ensuing kickoff and scored shortly after on a one-yard run by Moffatt.

But the Pirates showed great poise and delivered an impressive response of their own on the next play from scrimmage when Pine Tree quarterback Matt Cates stood tall in the pocket and, while getting hit, delivered a perfectly placed ball to Jordan Taylor for a 69-yard touchdown pass and a 29-20 lead.

The Vandals (1-1) made it a one-score game at 29-23 on a 28-yard field goal by Aiden Moore early in the fourth quarter, and Pine Tree’s offense came up big with a seven-play, 52-yard scoring drive that L’Marion Hunter capped off with a four-yard touchdown run for a 36-23 lead with 7:41 remaining.

Van, however, wouldn’t go away quietly. The Vandals quickly covered 74 yards on two Moffatt completions and two Pine Tree penalties, with the Vandal quarterback dumping off a screen pass to Austin Moffatt for a 17-yard touchdown to make it 36-30 with 6:38 to go.

The Pirate offense was then only able to muster one first down before losing yards and being forced to punt.

Van took over at its own 15 with 3:20 to play and moved the ball to its own 47 before three straight incompletions set up fourth-and-10 when Davis burst through the line of scrimmage to bring Jaxon Moffatt down to clinch it.

Cates completed 14 of 19 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns while Taylor recorded four receptions for 101 yards and a score.

Rowe led Van with seven catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns while Jaxon Moffatt went 15 for 35 passing for 223 yards and three scores.

After Pine Tree’s defense forced Van into a turnover on downs at the Pirate 30 on the game’s opening possession, the Pirates wasted no time getting to work as a 36-yard pass from Cates to Brandon Smith set up a three-yard touchdown run by Hunter for an early 6-0 lead.

Following a Van three-and-out, the Pirates quickly added to their lead when Cates hit Dalan Montgomery on a screen pass for a 42-yard touchdown and 13-0 lead late in the opening quarter.

The Vandals responded with an 11-play drive to get on the scoreboard when Rowe hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass.

However, Pine Tree found a way to eliminate any potential momentum Van might get on its touchdown as Carl Turner blocked the PAT and Kalil Deckard returned it for two points to bring the score to 15-6.

The Pirate offense continued humming efficiently on a six-play, 72-yard drive, capped off by a five-yard scoring toss from Cates to Jaeden Williams for a 22-6 lead with 6:07 left in the second quarter.

In week 3 action, Pine Tree will visit Dallas Carter (0-2) while Van will host Lindale.