Gallery by Tina Laney
PikeView came into Saturday hoping to spoil Shady Spring’s homecoming
The Tigers were 2-1 coming off of a bye week. Starting quarterback Cal Culicerto was also making his first start since being injured in the season opener at Roane County.
For their part, the Panthers were playing their third consecutive road game, still seeking their first win of the season.
The home team did not succumb to the distractions.
Scoring two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters, Shady Spring roared past PikeView 41-7 at H.B. Thomas Field.
“We could have been a little bit sluggish. We have had a crazy week,” Shady Spring head coach Vince Culicerto said. “All of the (homecoming) reschedules (due to weather) and then we were going to do all of these homecoming (festivities) on Friday. The parade, the pep rally and all that. It was a pretty good effort today. We were just trying to take what they were giving us.”
The plan for Shady Spring was to ease their junior signal caller back into the game by relying on the run. That plan worked nicely on the Tigers’ first series of the game.
Five running plays and a crucial third down pass interference call gave Shady Spring a 7-0 lead when Evan Romage rambled 45-yards for the first score of the game with 7:43 to play in the first quarter.
Following the first score the run heavy game-plan hit a bump in the road.
“Defensively they put the players in there on us. I was wanting to run the ball and kind of ease Cal back in. They forced us to throw the ball,” coach Culicerto said. “It was there and I had to do it. Cal did well. We started with some short stuff to get his feet wet. Then we threw some down the field, but he had a lot of time. The offensive line did a super job today.”
Following a penalty that moved the ball back to midfield, Culicerto hit Jakob Kubow on a short out and the senior wide out turned the catch into a 50-yard touchdown.
Leading 14-0, the Tigers then reeled off an 85-yard drive on their third possession of the first half which was capped by a 16-yard strike from Culicerto to Jalon Bailey. A key play in the drive was a 30-yard pass to Kubow from midfield.
“At the beginning of the game it was a little rocky getting back in the flow of things,” Cal Culicerto said. “I settled down and got job the done.”
The back breaker for the Panthers came in the final seven minutes of the first half.
After a kick return took the ball all the way to the Shady Spring 35-yard line, PikeView moved the ball to the four-yard line before the Tigers stiffened.
Quarterback Braiden Huggins was tackled for a four-yard loss before he was picked off by Nate Easley who returned the ball out to the 10-yard line.
The hope for a momentum-building score did not totally fade at that point because two plays later PikeView forced a fumble and recovered the ball at the Shady 22-yard line.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Easley was once again up to the challenge grabbing his second interception of the first half to keep the visitors scoreless.
“We sort of messed up there with the kick return and we had some penalties too. A couple bigger (penalties) on some runs when we were scoring and had to move back. Stuff we have to clean up,” coach Culicerto said. “We bowed up there though when we needed to, held them out and got a couple of interceptions. We have had a few interceptions this year.”
The junior quarterback threw salt in the wound by marching his team 85 yards in less than two minutes for a 27-0 halftime lead.
Completing six of his eight passes on the nine-play drive, Culicerto closed the drive with a five-yard strike to tight end Gabe Knoblet.
In just one half, Culicerto was 9 of 11 passing for 178 yards and three scores. While he was pleased with his effort, he also admitted sitting and watching from the sidelines was not easy.
“I wasn’t very happy with it, sitting there watching everybody, but we played good,” Cal Culicerto said. “We got two wins. Myles Clark stepped in there and played really good to get us two wins.”
The final two touchdowns for Shady Spring in the third quarter came on a one-yard run and a 59-yard run from senior Evan Honaker.
“It was a good day for sure, but next week is the big one,” Cal Culicerto said. “We have to do it again next week.”
Next up for No. 12 rated Shady Spring is a AAA showdown at home with Greenbrier East Friday night.
PV: 0 0 0 7 – 7
SS: 14 13 14 0 – 41
First quarter
SS: Evan Romage 45 run (Jorge Chocono kick)
SS: Jakob Kubow 50 pass (Chocono kick)
Second quarter
SS: Jalon Bailey 16 pass from Culicerto (Chocono)
SS: Gabe Knoblet 5 pass from Culicerto
Third quarter
SS: Evan Honaker 1 run (Chocono kick)
SS: Honaker 59 run (Chocono kick)
Fourth quarter
PV: Braiden Mullins 6 run (Adam Jones kick)
Game Stats
Rushing: (PV) Peyton Mounts 13-30, Kyle Williams 3-12, Josh Hedrick 11-52, Braiden Mullins 7-22-1, Braiden Huggins 9-29; (SS) Evan Romage 13-129, Kaiden Helmer 3-15, Evan Honaker 4-66-2, Cal Culicerto 3-0, Shayde Hedgecock 1-0, Team 1-(-17)
Passing: (PV) 4-9-2-51-0; (SS) Culicerto 12-15-0-206-3
Receiving: (PV) Mounts 4-51; (SS): Nate Easley 5-75, Jalon Bailey 1-16-1, Gabe Knoblet 2-17-1, Jacob Kubow 3-85-1, Aiden Lester 1-13.
