South Pittsburg Outmuscles Red Bank in Turnover-Marred Win 31-7

Written By: Jay Pace (@TheRealJayPace)

Physical Education!!!

SOUTH PITTSBURG, TN. — South Pittsburg leaned on its bruising ground game and opportunistic defense to cruise past Class 4A Red Bank, 31-7, before a raucous crowd at Vic Grider Field on Friday night.

Junior running back Dayon Cooper led the way for the Pirates, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.

“The more physical team won the football game tonight,” SPHS head coach Wes Stone told his team afterward. “We won in all three phases. And we won the line of scrimmage.”

In truth, South Pittsburg didn’t just win the line of scrimmage, they dominated it.

The Pirates piled up 269 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries, wearing down Red Bank’s defense. On the other side of the ball, South Pittsburg’s defense sparkled, holding the Lions to just 277 total yards and forcing six turnovers.

The Backbreaker

The most pivotal moment came midway through the third quarter. Trailing 10-0, Red Bank was threatening to close the gap with a drive deep into Pirate territory. But when a fumble hit the turf, linebacker Kaden Baker scooped it up and raced 80 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 17-0.

Red Bank never recovered.

A Tough, Ugly Win

The opening stages were a grind. The game remained scoreless for the first 17 minutes as both teams struggled offensively. In total, the two squads combined for eight turnovers and 15 penalties that accounted for more than 100 yards.

Despite the sloppy play, South Pittsburg showed the toughness and resilience their coach wanted to see.

“I thought we were tougher tonight,” Stone said. “And I’m really proud of our guys and the way they played.”

Looking Ahead

With the win, South Pittsburg continued its strong turnaround since dropping its season opener, a 10-0 loss to Silverdale Baptist Academy.

The Pirates (now rolling with momentum) will host Covington (KY) next week before closing out the regular season with four straight region games.

Red Bank, meanwhile, will look to regroup as it travels to Signal Mountain.