Submitted Photo

The Belfry Middle School Pirates are shown hoisting the Pike County championship trophy high in the air after a 21-0 win over Pikeville in the title game Wednesday night. The Pirates are now a perfect 11-0.

slideshow

Kyle Lovern

Sports Editor

BUCKLEYS CREEK, Ky. - The Belfry Middle School Pirates ended a perfect season in Pike County by defeating Pikeville 21-0 in the county championship game Wednesday night played at Pike County Central High School.

The Pikeville Panthers tried ball control early. They took the opening kickoff and slowly marched the ball down the field for the entire first quarter of play.

With the bend, but not break, attitude that the Pirates have shown all season in the red zone, they had another good defensive stop. After a 23-play, 71-yard offensive drive by the Panthers, Belfry (11-0) kept Pikeville out of the end zone to gain the momentum.

Many said it was the play of the game. With the ball resting on the 4-yard line, on third and goal situation, Belfry’s Ray Horton stopped the Panther running back.

Austin Dotson supplied the hit that knocked the football loose, which was quickly recovered by Josh Thacker.

Then on the first play of the second quarter, the high-powered Pirate offense wasted no time moving the ball down the field. Andrew Fletcher gave the Pirates some breathing room with a 63-yard run down the right sideline. After some costly penalties, the Pirates turned the ball over on downs to the Panthers on the 29-yard line. The BMS defense started showing its strength holding the PMS offense to only three plays and forced them to punt.

Cameron Catron received the punt return and took it down the right sideline 61 yards to the end zone, but saw the play called back on a penalty. So the game remained scoreless.

The Pirate offense took over on its own 48-yard line. After an 8-play drive, Austin Hall took the handoff and bulled his way in from eight yards out. The score stood 6-0 at the half. The Pirates took the second half kickoff and quickly marched straight down the field with an 11-play, 53-yard scoring drive. Horton took the pigskin and hit pay-dirt on a one yard plunge. The two point conversion was good by Hall.

The Pirates had a commanding lead 14-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter after showing another great defensive stand against the rival Panthers.

The game was then put out of reach with a 42-yard scoring drive put together by the Pirate offense.

Hall scored his second touchdown of the night. The PAT by kicker Austin Woolum was good, leaving the score 21-0.

The Pirate defense sealed the game and shut out with another great defensive stand in the final quarter.

The defensive standouts of the game for Belfry were Cole Bentley, Ray Horton and Austin Hall with five tackles each. Dotson, Mickey Sesco, Thacker and Fletcher each had four.

The county championship trophy returned to Pond Creek for 2012.