By Craig Thomas, The Times Daily
MUSCLE SHOALS — With three state championships and a semifinal appearance over the past four seasons, Pinson Valley remains the team to beat in Alabama’s Class 6A.
Pinson Valley’s Mike Sharpe breaks free during the Indians’ first-round playoff victory against Muscle Shoals on November 5, 2021. (Photo by Dan Busey, The Times Daily)
No one knows better than Muscle Shoals.
Michael Sharpe’s touchdown run with 42 seconds left and a Pinson Valley sack as time expired sent the Indians into the second round of the Class 6A playoffs with a 28-21 win Friday at Muscle Shoals.
It is the third time in four years Pinson Valley has ended Muscle Shoals’ season.
“I thought right there ‘til the end we had a shot,” Muscle Shoals coach Scott Basden said.
Pinson Valley (7-4) will host Oxford next week. Muscle Shoals (9-2) suffered its second consecutive first-round loss after nine straight years of reaching at least the second round.
The Trojans drove to the Pinson Valley 42 in the final seconds thanks to Luke Peoples’ completion to Bryant Basden and then a pass interference penalty.
But with 12 seconds left, Peoples threw a deep incompletion. On the final play, he was sacked.
Several Trojans lingered on the ground for a few moments in disappointment, no doubt hurting from a first-round loss they seemed better equipped to avoid than they were last year as heavy underdogs at Mountain Brook.
A few fought back tears during and after the team’s brief post-game talk.
“It means something to them,” Scott Basden said. “That’s why I think consistently we’re a good football team, because our guys take it seriously and it means something to them. We don’t like losing.”
Pinson Valley improved to 6-0 in the playoffs under second-year coach Sam Shade.
“You know what? I think these guys are just excited about playing football,” Shade said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that didn’t play a lot last year that are playing this year, that are finally getting the opportunity.”
Muscle Shoals answered each of Pinson Valley’s first three touchdowns with its own, if not necessarily immediately.
But too often, Muscle Shoals struggled to run the ball as well as it has this season. The Trojans went three-and-out on consecutive possessions in the third quarter on a total of six runs against a fast Pinson Valley defense.
“They had their moments now when they were able to run it,” Shade said. “They ran the quarterback some, and (Berry) gave us all we could handle. … We made some key stops when we needed them.”
Said Basden: “They’re really good. They’ve got a great front. … They’re really good at what they do.”
Brooks Berry capped a 97-yard drive with a short TD run to tie the game at 7, and that drive was made possible by Peoples’ 37-yard keeper on third down.
Dontavaius Pritchard blocked a field goal try, scooped up the ball and returned it approximately 70 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 14 early in the third quarter.
Peoples’ 12-yard keeper tied the game at 21 early in the fourth, and Pritchard intercepted a potential touchdown right after that.
But Muscle Shoals had to punt from deep in its own territory, and Georgia Tech commit Zach Pyron led Pinson Valley on one more scoring drive.
Pyron threw a short TD pass to Amare Thomas and a 59-yarder to Taborie Reed just over a Muscle Shoals’ defenders fingertips. After halftime, Sharpe had a 47-yard TD run and then the game-winner.
Basden said seniors including Silas Russell, Collin Wright, Luke Peoples and Khamani Goodloe did a good job leading the Trojans, who went from a No. 4 seed last year to the No. 2 seed out of Class 6A, Region 8 this year.
“We played sophomores last year and we played juniors this year. Sort of a maturation process,” he said. “We’re a little bit older and a little bit better.”
The Trojans’ work this season reflects that, but playing Pinson Valley — as the Trojans know well by now — leaves little room for error.
“When you play the defending state champs, you better not make mistakes,” Basden said.
