Published: November 07, 2009 12:52 pm      

Pirates clinch first playoff trip since 2000

VIDOR — Congratulations Jeff Mathews, the Vidor Pirates are in the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

The Pirates (7-3, 4-3) defeated the Livingston Lions 28-14 Friday at Pirate Stadium to wrap up a playoff spot out of District 20-4A.

Vidor did it in Vidor style too.

The Pirates chewed up 6.5 yards a carry for a total of 395 yards on 61 carries.

Vidor will now face Dayton (7-2, 6-1) at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

“I wanted these kids to be remembered as kids who went to the playoffs,” Mathews said. “They are such good kids and they deserve it. The first time I believed it was when we got that final first down. That is when I knew.”

The Pirates first had to get a victory over the Lions (4-6, 2-5) and they went to the ground to do it.

Senior Shayne Pitman led a powerful-Vidor rushing attack with 210 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns. Jacob Peevey, overcoming a wrist injury, bullied his way to 112 yards on 16 carries with a score and Kevin Tate had 76 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown.

“I’m speechless,” Pitman said. “It feels amazing we are going to the playoffs. When we were sophomores two years ago feels so long ago now. I’m very proud of this team. Everyone of our guys gives 110-percent in every game. I wouldn’t choose to play on any other team for anything.”

Pitman, who now has 1,471 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season, scored the Pirates first score of the night to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:50 left in the first half.

Mathews then got creative and caught Livingston off guard with an onside kick. Vidor’s Josh Richard recovered the loose ball and it would be the Lions who were never able to recover from that point on.

Vidor went to work from the Lions’ 45-yard line and it only took eight plays for the Pirates to punch it in.

Pitman capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run and Jacob Grant put the Pirates head for good with a PAT as Vidor led 14-7 with 5:44 left in the first half.

Livingston then went three-and-out giving Vidor a golden opportunity to push even farther ahead.

Vidor would do just that as the Pirates went 73 yards on only seven plays.

Tate, who has 921 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, had a 17 yard run before Peevey hauled in a 25-yard reception from quarterback Nick Dozhier to bring the Pirates down to the Lions’ 24-yard line.

Tate then did the rest as a 24-yard touchdown run and Grant’s third PAT of the night put the Pirates up 21-7 with just over a minute left in the first half.

The Pirates got two interceptions on the night against Livingston quarterback Blake Burman.

The first one was a beauty as James Laramore first had a chance at an interception but the ball bounced out of his hands. A diving Colton Carr grabbed the ball before it fell to the ground for the interception. The Pirates quickly scored off the interception on Pitman’s first touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

The second interception fell into the hands of Trae Hester and it came at a perfect time.

Tate had just scored to make it 21-7 Pirates and the Lions were hurrying to score before the half.

Burman hit Keith Wilson on a 39-yard pass to bring the Lions down to the Pirates’ 36-yard line.

The next Burman pass was read to perfection by Hester who snatched the ball out of the air and kept the Lions from scoring.

Neither team put up any points in the third quarter yet Vidor got close after taking 14 plays down to the Lions’ eight-yard line. Pitman would commit the Pirates’ lone turnover of the night on a fumble.

Pitman all but made up for it on the Pirates’ next drive as he barreled his way for 32 yards as Vidor had first-and-goal from the Lions’ 5-yard line.

Peevey then scored the Pirates last touchdown of the night and Grant made it 28-7 with a PAT. Peevey has 632 yards and six touchdowns on the year.

The Lions ended the scoring on their next series as Quinton Jackson, who had 172 yards on 16 carries, scored from 58 yards out to make it 28-14.

Jackson also scored the first touchdown of the game, a 55-yard touchdown run with 7:08 left in the first quarter.

Vidor dominated the first half statistics with 230 total yards, 205 on the ground, and 11 first downs. Livingston was limited to 132 yard in the first half with four first downs.



Vidor 28

Livingston 14



Vid 0 21 0 7 — 28

Liv 7 0 0 7 — 14

Scoring summary

Livingston — Quinton Jackson 55 run. Jared Hoover kick.

Vidor — Shayne Pitman 11 run. Jacob Grant kick.

Vidor — Pitman 2 run. Grant kick.

Vidor — Kevin Tate 2 run. Grant kick.

Vidor — Jacob Peevey 5 run. Grant kick.

Livingston — Jackson 59 run. Hoover kick.

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Vid Liv

First downs 23 8

Rushes-yards 61-395 29-202

Passing 25 61

Comp-Att-Int 1-3-0 2-8-2

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-1

Penalties-Yards 4-30 4-40



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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Vidor, Shayne Pitman 30-210; Jacob Peevey 16-112; Kevin Tate 12-76, Jake Travis 2-6; Nick Dozhier 1-0. Livingston, Quinton Jackson 16-172; Keke Johnson 6-22; Greg Johnson 5-14; Blake Burman 1-(-2).

PASSING— Vidor, Dozhier, 1-3-0 25. Livingston, Burman, 2-8-2 61.

RECEIVING—Vidor, Peevey, 1-25; Livingston, Keith Wilson 1-39; Cassity Land 1-22.