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By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Beechwood’s long awaited return to the Class 1A state football finals didn’t turn out the way the Tigers wanted.
Pikeville scored 28 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters and defeated Beechwood, 42-28, in the championship game on Thursday at Western Kentucky University.
Making their first appearance in the state final since 2008, the Tigers fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and then ran off 21 straight points to take the lead with 59 seconds left in the third quarter.
But Pikeville scored on its next four possessions to come away with the victory and the Panthers claimed their first state championship trophy since 1989.
Two three-year starters in the Beechwood lineup – Brett Slusher and Kyle Fieger – closed out their careers with impressive performances. They accounted for most of the Tigers’ 320 yards of offense in the game.
Slusher rushed for 78 yards on 16 carries, caught five passes for 38 yards and scored three touchdowns. Fieger completed 21 of 32 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries.
Pikeville had 504 total yards with 252 coming on its six scoring plays. Those plays included a 67-yard pass in the third quarter and runs of 54 and 49 yards in the fourth.
Senior running back Daric Pugh was the standout performer for the Panthers. He scored twice on long breakaway runs and finished with 239 yards on 24 carries.
Pikeville scored on two passing plays in the first quarter and maintained a 14-0 lead until the final seconds of the second quarter when Beechwood sophomore defensive back Elijah McKenney intercepted a pass near midfield to set up the Tigers’ first touchdown.
On the next five plays, Fieger completed two passes for 18 yards and picked up 20 yards on two carries to move the ball to the 1-yard line.
After getting sacked with eight seconds left, Fieger drilled a 4-yard touchdown pass to Slusher to put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Mario German kicked the extra point to make the halftime score 14-7.
At the break, Pikeville had a 229-134 lead in offensive yardage. Fieger completed 12 of 17 passes for 96 yards and rushed for 33 yards on six carries to provide most of the Tigers’ offense in the first half. His one mistake was an interception that stopped a drive to the Pikeville 16-yard line early in the second quarter.
Beechwood opened the second half with an 11-play, 61-yard scoring drive to tie the score. Slusher caught a 12-yard pass and carried the ball five times for 19 yards, including a 1-yard plunge into the end zone.
The Tigers took the lead with a 67-yard drive that once again featured Slusher. This time, he carried the ball eight times for 48 yards and scored his third TD of the game on a 3-yard run to put his team ahead.
But just when Beechwood appeared to be in control of the game, Pikeville came up with two big plays.
On the final play of third quarter, Blake Charles scored on a 67-yard pass from Wyatt Battaile to tie the score. The Panthers regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when Pugh broke free on a 54-yard TD run.
Rushing touchdowns by Charles and Pugh on their team’s next two possessions extended the Panthers’ lead to 41-21. Junior running back Aiden Justice caught a 7-yard pass from Fieger for Beechwood’s final touchdown with 1:39 left on the clock.
Beechwood now has an 11-5 record in Class 1A state championship games, which includes a 2-1 record under current head coach Noel Rash. The Tigers won back-to-back state titles in 2007 and 2008 under Rash.
BEECHWOOD 0 7 14 7 – 28
PIKEVILLE 14 0 7 21 – 42
P – Jerrell 18 pass from Dials (Heffington kick)
P – Charles 25 pass from Battaile (Heffington kick)
B – Slusher 4 pass from Fieger (German kick)
B – Slusher 1 run (German kick)
B – Slusher 3 run (German kick)
P – Charles 67 pass from Battaile (Heffington kick)
P – Pugh 54 run (Heffington kick)
P – Charles 29 run (Heffinton kick)
P – Pugh 49 run (Heffington kick)
B – Justice 7 pass from Fieger (German kick)
RECORDS: Pikeville 13-2, Beechwood 13-2