The Collinsville Pirates met the Lindsay Knights in the regional semifinals, with the Knights taking the playoff victory 29-23 on Nov. 28.
Lindsay ran for 317 yards and scored four touchdowns to overcome an early 10-point Collinsville lead, sending the Pirates home for the holiday emptyhanded.
The Knights received the opening kickoff and used six straight running plays to move the ball to the Pirates’ 18-yard line, but the drive came to a screeching halt when Pirates defensive back Trent Stewart picked off a Lindsay pass.
Collinsville took advan- tage of the turnover with a 15-yard drive capped by Jaxon Spivey, who plunged into the end zone from 4 yards out to put the Pirates on top 7-0 after kicker Isaiah Smith made the extra point.
On the Knight’s ensuing possession, the Pirates defense secured their second turnover after forcing a fumble and recovering it on the Knights’ 26-yard line.
A false start penalty, one of six called during the game, helped to force the Pirates into fourth down two plays later, where Smith nailed a 37-yard field goal, giving Collinsville a 10-0 lead.
The teams traded possessions until late in the second period of play when the Knights got on the scoreboard with an 8-yard touchdown run by Braxten Ice, cutting Collinsville’s lead to three points.
Neither team would gain any more ground, with both teams throwing interceptions to send the teams to halftime with the Pirates holding the lead 10-7.
Collinsville got the ball to start the second half but was forced to punt to Lindsay, and the Knights used eight straight running plays, capped off by a 43-yard touchdown run by Casen Williford to give Lindsay their first lead of the game, 14-10.
The teams again traded possessions, but the Pirates found the end zone with a 12-yard run by Chase Sheppard with less than a minute to play in the third quarter.
The momentum of the game changed when Lindsay blocked the point-after attempt and returned it for a 2-point conversion of their own, tying the game at 16-16.
The scoring peaked in the fourth quarter, with the two squads trading touchdowns midway through the period, with Lindsay crossing the goal line on an 83-yard pass from and Collinsville answering with a 47-yard pass from Paxton Davidson to Spivey, tying the game 2323.
The Knights turned back to their ground game, allowing Williford to score his second rushing touchdown of over 40 yards on the afternoon, giving Lindsay a 6-point lead after a missed extra point kick.
The Pirates started their final drive of the game on their own 28-yard line and moved the ball to the Knights’ 20-yard line, but the Knights’ defense held the Pirates and forced them to turn the ball over on downs, sealing the 29-23 win for Lindsay.
Sheppard led the Pirates with 171 yards rushing and a touchdown, followed by Spivey, who finished with 92 yards receiving with one touchdown on the ground and one touchdown through the air.
The Knights were led by Foster, who rushed for 119 yards, followed by Williford, who added 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Assistant editor Martin Edwards contributed to this report.
