Tuscaloosa, AL- Tuscaloosa Academy hangs on to defeat the Pisgah Eagles at home in a high-scoring contest, winning 44-34 in the third round of the AHSAA State playoffs on Friday.

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This was a cold Friday Night in November, with TA's concession stand selling hand warmers for $2 a pop during the game, but despite the weather, the Knights and their Senior Quarterback Preston Lancaster came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, with TA driving 70 yards down the field on their first drive, which was completed with a 2-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown to give the Knights a 7-0 lead at 7:21 in the first quarter.

Tuscaloosa Academy's defense performed impressively in the first quarter, allowing no points and forcing the Eagles into several three-and-outs.

Lancaster replied to his defense's excellent first-quarter performance with the Knights' Senior Quarterback striking on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Senior runningback Eddie Taylor Thompson, giving TA a 14-point lead with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter following the successful PAT.

The Eagles' offense found some rhythm at the start of the second quarter when Pisgah's Senior quarterback Luke Gilbert connected with Junior Wide receiver Landon Watkins for a 37-yard touchdown which made the score 14-6 with 9:56 left in the quarter following the missed two-point convert.

TA responded the very next drive with a few great passes by Lancaster to set up Ellis Hamiter's five-yard rushing score, putting the home team up 21-6 with 7:18 left in the second quarter.

Pisgah's defense remained strong in the final minutes of the second quarter, with the Eagles making a crucial stop on 4th and 3 to deny the Knights another score before the half ended. This resulted in a touchdown for the visiting team in the final minute of the first half when Eagles quarterback Luke Gilbert connected on a 23-yard pass to Junior Wide Receiver Jackson Smalley, cutting the Knights' lead to 7 points at halftime following the successful two-point conversion.

Tuscaloosa Academy came out in the third quarter much like they did in the first, with the Knights' offense on fire after halftime, sustaining a long drive that resulted in a 7-yard rushing touchdown by Knight running back Eddie Taylor Thompson, giving TA a 27-14 lead with 7:38 left in the third quarter after the missed PAT attempt.

Both offenses remained quiet for the majority of the third quarter until Pisgah's senior running back Legion Mccray scored a 3-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 7 points with 34 seconds left in the quarter after a failed two-point conversion try.

Tuscaloosa Academy opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yard field goal by Senior Kicker Simon Mitrev, giving the Knights a 30-20 lead with 9:13 remaining.

Pisgah responded swiftly, with Gilbert hitting on a 30-yard pass to Wide Receiver Landon Watkins to make the score 30-26 following the failed 2-point conversion with 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Lancaster joined in on the scoring assault, with the Knights' quarterback putting six more points on the board for TA after an 11-yard rushing touchdown to bring the score 37-26 with 6:02 left in the fourth.

Pisgah wasn't done yet, with Eagles quarterback Gilbert calling his number on a 30-yard rushing touchdown to put the opposing team within three points, 37-34 following the successful 2-point conversion with 5:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

TA's offense replied in a big way, giving the Knights a comfortable 10-point lead with a little over 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter following a great drive topped off by a quarterback sneak into the endzone by none other than Preston Lancaster.

The final score of this contest was 44-34, thanks to a game-sealing interception by Knights' Sophmore Defensive back Fitz Mcinerney, who gave TA the ball back with less than a minute remaining.

Player of the Game

Preston Lancaster once again played a key role in his team's win, passing for over 200 yards in this game, in addition to his one passing score and three additional rushing scores, accounting for four of Tuscaloosa Academy's six touchdowns.

TA will advance to the fourth round of the AHSAA State Playoffs, where the Knights will face off against the 9-4 Sulligent Blue Devils at home on Friday, November 29, 2024. The Knights last played the Blue Devils on October 18th, 2024, when Sulligent upset Tuscaloosa Academy at home in overtime, 46-44.

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