HALLSVILLE - Maliq Owens scored from 95 yards out early and added a short touchdown late, leading the Pine Tree Pirates to a 22-17 win over the Hallsville Bobcats on Friday at Bobcat Stadium.
The Pirates, winners of two in a row, snapped a 15-game losing skid against Hallsville and moved to 2-6 overall and 2-2 in District 16-5A play. Hallsville drops to 2-5 and 2-1.
The Bobcats opened the scoring at the 7:47 mark of the first quarter, driving 61 yards in nine plays and getting on the board with a 37-yard field goal from Seth Morgan.
The Pirates answered quickly when Owens sprinted 95 yards for a touchdown with 5:29 to play in the initial quarter. Nick Noll booted the PAT, and the Pirates led 7-3.
Pine Tree took that 7-3 lead in at the break, but Hallsville moved 62 yards in six plays on its opening possession of the second half to go back on top when Payton McGarvey went up top and hit Chris Kuler on a 37-yard touchdown strike. Morgan's PAT at the 8:58 mark gave Hallsville a 10-7 lead.
The Pirates answered with another big play when quarterback Keshon Williams raced 52 yards for a touchdown two minutes later. The PAT was blocked, and Pine Tree led 13-10.
A 35-yard field goal by Noll at the 1:22 mark capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive by the Pirates to give the visitors a 16-10 lead, but the Bobcats struck again on a McGarvey-to-Kuler TD pass to go ton top 17-16 just 16 seconds into the fourth quarter. The scoring toss covered 30 yards, and Morgan's PAT left Pine Tree trailing by a point.
The Pirates drove 64 yards in eight plays for the game-winner, with Owens crashing in from five yards out with 1:00 showing on the clock to make the final 22-17 after a try for two failed.
The game was stopped for nearly 20 minutes with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter due to an injury to Hallsville's James Nelson, who left the field on a stretcher. The extent of his injury was unknown at press time.
Pine Tree is idle on Friday. Hallsville will visit Marshall.