By Donita Byrom, Register Correspondent
Gainesville Daily Register
Collinsville —
With much anticipation, the Collinsville Pirates kicked off their season opener at home against the Howe Bulldogs, but fell short 26-13.
The Pirates won the toss and deferred to the Bulldogs, who turned the ball over on downs after only four plays. The Pirates were eager to get the ball, but failed to produce as they quickly turned the ball over on downs.
The first quarter would prove to be a defensive battle with neither team being able to move the ball toward the end zone.
The Pirates punched the ball into the endzone in the second quarter when junior quarterback Cory Ragsdale sailed a 50-yard pass to senior Spencer McKnight which set the stage for a 2-yard score by senior running back Chris Carney. The PAT fell short, putting the Pirates up 6-0 with 11:34 left in the second quarter.
After punting back to the Pirates, the Bulldogs capitalized on a recovered Pirate fumble on the 10-yard line, and squeezed into the end zone with a touchdown by senior Casey Davis.
Missing the extra point, Howe tied the game 6-6 with 7:57 left in the first half.
Another defensive battle ensued with both teams showing a tough defense.
With 4:32 left in the second quarter, the Pirates forced the Bulldogs to punt again.
A fair catch interference cost the Bulldogs a 15-yard penalty, giving the Pirates good field position and an opportunity to score. The Pirates put up a valiant effort with runs by senior Scott Ragsdale and Carney, and a Cory Ragsdale pass to senior David Byrom for a total gain of 22 yards.
Another good run by Carney gave the Pirates first and 10 on the 16-yard line with 2:37 left in the second, but the Bulldog defense dug in and with 1:17 left, the Pirates ended the drive on fourth and four, giving the Bulldogs one last chance.
Though the Pirate defense fought hard, it was not enough to keep junior Alex Torres from making a Bulldog touchdown as the buzzer sounded. With a good PAT by senior Scott Kannenberg, the first half ended with a 7-point lead for the Bulldogs at 13-6.
The Pirates came out ready to receive the seconnd half kickoff, but were stopped short by the Bulldog defense.
Later, the Pirate defense, led by senior Clay Waters, smashed the Bulldogs, forcing a punt, which was blocked by Waters and picked up by Cole Evans, who ran it in for a 40-yard Collinsville touchdown.
Falling short on the extra point, the Pirates brought the score to 13-12 with 7:47 left on the clock, which is where the score would remain through three quarters.
The Bulldogs would make a positive run down the field with a 30-yard pass to Torres who was caught by Byrom on the 3-yard line, but the Bulldogs would go on to score on a reception by senior Tim Butler. Scoring the extra point, the Bulldogs would widen the gap to 20-12 over the Pirates.
Another positive Pirate drive was stopped short by the Bulldog defense.
A Bulldog touchdown by Bailey would bring the score to 26-12 with 7:24 left in the 4th quarter. With 4:05 on the clock, Pirate junior Chase Medler would recover a Bulldog fumble, Ragsdale then connected with McKnight for an 8-yard reception, then another Ragsdale pass to Carney would put the Pirates in the red zone, but an interception on the 2-yard line shattered the Pirates end zone drive.
The Bulldogs came out on top with a 14-point victory over the Pirates. The Pirates would end the night with 143 rushing yards led by Cory Ragsdale who had 66 yards and Carney running 40 yards and 133 passing yards led by Carney with 59 yards and McKnight with 58 yards.
Leading the defense was Junior Dalton Williams with 6 tackles, along with Waters and McKnight with five tackles each. The Pirates will travel to Era on Friday for a showdown with the Hornets.
