Pillow Academy shook off a sluggish start to post a 42-21 win over Magnolia Heights on Senior Night Friday at Bill Davis Field.
In doing so, the Mustangs kept their hopes for a first-round playoff bye alive as they moved to 7-2 overall, 3-0 in District 1-5A. Pillow closes out the regular season next week at Bayou Academy in Cleveland.
“It took us a little while to get going there, but our guys played hard,” PA coach Tripp McCarty said. “It’s never easy when you play those guys. We have had a lot of wars with those guys. This always a game we want to win.”
Struggling with injuries at linebacker (there were some snaps where all three starters were off the field at the same time), the Mustang defense had problems holding up to the Cheifs’ power running attack. Magnolia Heights finished with a 384 rushing yards and just 27 passing.
“We were really having to do a lot of shuffling around on defense. We were lucky some guys stepped up when it mattered most,” McCarty said.
The Chiefs used the same style of running game last year to upset the Mustangs, but this year, the offense plenty to help out.
PA rolled up 430 total yards as senior quarterback Shane Houston Stephens completed 13 of 21 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior Jack Reichle made up for a quiet first half with three second-half touchdowns. He reeled off back-to-back scoring scampers to put Pillow up 28-14 late in the third quarter.
“It’s hard to focus on just one guy when facing us. It’s really a shame that we have to play with just one ball,” McCarty said. “Jack stayed focused and ready and then showed up big time in the second half.”
Reichle’s second rushing TD, a 6-yarder, capped off a 90-yard touchdown drive. He also had 71-yard scoring reception and finished with 83 yards receving and a team-high 64 yards on the ground.
Senior wideout Jaden Simcox continued his stellar play with a big outing on Senior Night, totalling a team-best 139 yards receiving and a touchdown. Senior Hagan Wilson had a touchdown catch.
Defensively, senior linebacker Seth Hollis held nothing back in his final regular-season game at home — recording a team-high 15 tackles. Christian Belk, a junior safety, chipped in with 12 stops, while senior linebacker Jacob Bush added eight tackles and had a sack.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
