Briarwood grinds out win over Pleasant Grove
BIRMINGHAM -- Briarwood Christian needed this game.
Not to secure a Class 5A playoff spot. Not to secure a Class 5A, Region 5 title, which the Lions already had. The Briarwood Christian School football team needed this game to prepare for the playoffs, which begin Nov. 4 when the Lions host Corner.
The Lions (8-1, 7-0) grinded all night and came out with a 12-7 win over region foe Pleasant Grove (4-5, 4-3).
Briarwood fumbled on its first three possessions of the first quarter, losing one. Pleasant Grove fumbled twice as well in an opening half that saw only one touchdown. Pleasant Grove’s Kobe Gunn plunged for a 2-yard score with five minutes until halftime.
“I told (the players) to keep chopping wood,” Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey said of his halftime pep talk.
With 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Briarwood finally broke through. Senior quarterback William Gray followed his offensive line for a 1-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Lions down 7-6 entering the fourth quarter.
Gray scored the game-winning touchdown on another 1-yard keeper with 7:33 to play. The two-point conversion attempt, a throw from wide receiver Luke Miskelley to Gray, failed.
“This game was more valuable to us than had we come out and been able to run through them very easily,” Yancey said. “That would not have been good for us. (Those games) don’t season you for the playoffs.”
Briarwood had several opportunities for big plays. J.R. Tran-Reno ran for what seemed to be a 52-yard touchdown early in the first quarter, but it was called back on a block in the back penalty. Gray connected with Miskelley for what appeared to be a 32-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but it was called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield.
“It was a good, hard-fought game,” Yancey said. “A tough game to win.”
Gray finished 9-of-15 for 115 yards for Briarwood. He rushed 17 times for 36 yards and two touchdowns. Tran-Reno churned out 66 yards on 11 carries.
For Pleasant Grove, Gunn rushed 24 times for 117 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Caleb Jackson rushed 16 times for 87 yards. He completed 6-of-13 passes for just 18 yards and two interceptions.
Briarwood got interceptions from Hudson Hartsfield and Mark Hand. Jonathan Hill recovered a fumble. Pleasant Grove managed just three first downs in the second half.
“I was real pleased for the defense not breaking,” Yancey said. “Any time you can hold a team to seven points, you’ve got a good chance to win the game.”
Briarwood travels to Madison Academy next week, sure to be another tough game before the playoffs.
“That’s why it’s on the schedule,” Yancey said. “If we beat them, I’m going to feel real good about where we are headed into the playoffs.”
Briarwood will then host Class 5A, Region 6 No. 4 seed Corner in the first round of the playoffs Nov. 4. Tough regular season games help prepare a team for a playoff run.
“Things like this will help you have better practices the next week,” Yancey said. “They realize we’ve got work to do.”