Hornets fall just short against Pelham
CHELSEA – In games that are so evenly matched between teams that are so evenly matched, it often comes down to a play here or a play there that swings the outcome.
Pelham High School happened to be on the fortunate side of those plays Friday night, as the Panthers knocked off Chelsea 35-28 at Chelsea High School in a rivalry game dubbed the “Battle of the Border.”
Chelsea (1-5) never held the lead, but fought back to tie it three times before surrendering the game-deciding touchdown with 7:58 to play, as Pelham’s Ra-Sen Martin scored on a 7-yard run to give his team the go-ahead score.
The Hornets moved the ball successfully on the ensuing drive, but a fourth-down pass completion went for 9 yards when they needed 10.
Chelsea’s Jaeden Bennett recovered a fumble with seven seconds to play, but one final Hail Mary attempt fell short.
“You just got to keep your head up and keep working,” Chelsea head coach Todd Cassity said following the game. “We’ve got to figure out how to make those plays when we’ve got to make plays.”
The game was tightly contested the whole way, as Pelham (2-3) outgained the Hornets just 360-355. Pelham jumped ahead to a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter after Bishop Rellah was the lucky recipient of a deflected pass attempt and returned the interception 35 yards for a score.
One of those plays Cassity mentioned came on the Hornets’ opening drive. They moved the ball effectively but came up short on a fourth-and-1 run. Pelham took the ball and drove it 69 yards in 10 plays, with quarterback Clayton Mains scoring on a 7-yard run.
Early in the second quarter, Chelsea tied the game at 7-7 on Emerson Russell’s 19-yard run, as he beat the defense to the sideline. Pelham responded quickly, as Mains fired a 38-yard touchdown to Kamari Hollis to make it 14-7.
After the pick-six, Chelsea scored twice more before the half to tie the game at 21-21. MJ Conrad caught a 38-yard pass from Carter Dotson over a defender, sauntering the final few yards into the end zone after a highlight-reel grab. On the Hornets’ next drive, Jaxon Shuttlesworth treated his defender in much the same fashion, reaching over him for a 9-yard touchdown reception.
Shuttlesworth’s touchdown was set up by Anderson Brooks stepping in front of a Mains pass for the interception.
Cassity said it is equal parts encouraging and demoralizing considering how close Chelsea has been in three of those five losses this season.
“It’s good to see how these kids fight their butts off every play, but it’s demoralizing because you feel like you’re not doing enough for them, and there’s where we’ve got to get to. Our coaches, our players, staff, everybody is fighting for that win,” he said.
Mains scored his second rushing touchdown of the evening on the first drive of the second half, a 5-yard run. Russell responded for Chelsea, following up a 25-yard burst with a 3-yard touchdown to make it 28-28.
Russell eclipsed the century mark once again for Chelsea, rushing for 125 yards on 19 carries. Dotson had an overall strong performance, completing 19-of-28 passes for 225 yards. Conrad was his top target, catching five passes for 90 yards. Shuttlesworth finished with four catches for 54 yards. EJ Hudnall had 39 receiving yards, while JyDarian McKinney added 32.
Ethan Hill intercepted a Dotson pass late in the third quarter to begin the drive that sealed the game.
Pelham’s Jake Garner and Chelsea’s Jack Seymour converted all of their extra point attempts on the evening.
For Pelham, Mains rushed for 46 yards and threw for 212, completing 13-of-19 throws. Hollis got an even 100 yards on six catches. Christian Johnson finished with 43 receiving yards and Darius Copeland added 41. Martin finished with 61 yards on 10 carries, while Markell Bell had 11 carries for 41 yards.
Chelsea gets back into Class 7A, Region 3 play next week, as the Hornets travel to Vestavia Hills. Pelham visits Calera in 6A, Region 3 action.