Pirates Bow Out of Playoffs 33-20

By Kevin Yoder  
Photos by Darla Michael

All good things must come to an end.  

A championship football season came to a close last Friday night, as Pleasantville ended Hudson’s playoff run in the second round 33-20.  

The Pirates came out hungry and matched the Trojans early drives. Pleasantville got on the board first, however, when they converted a 4th and 9 with a long touchdown pass.  Undeterred, Hudson drove down the field and Tade Roberts found Anderson Yoder wide open on the far sideline. 37 yards later he was in the end zone, and the score was tied at seven.  

Pleasantville answered on their next drive with another long touchdown pass. Hudson again went back to work and continued to match the Trojans play for play. The drive ended up  back in the red zone, facing a fourth and goal from the six yard line. Coach Joe Edwards pulled  out some trickery as Gavin Gunnarson took the handoff and flipped a counter toss to Yoder as  he reversed field. Facing heavy pressure, Yoder saw Owen Bell racing across the back of the  end zone and lofted a pass Bell secured for the touchdown.  

Pleasantville continued to hold serve and put touchdowns on the board in each of their  next two possessions. As the half wound down, the Pirates had one more opportunity to keep the score close. Roberts began to find traction in the run game with quarterback draws, his final one coming as he plunged across the goal line from five yards out.  

The Pirates trailed 27-20 as they headed to the locker room. The second half was a stark contrast to the first as defenses adjusted and challenged the opposing offenses. Penalty flags also became an issue and made generating any offense a significant challenge.  

The lone score came from the Trojans, and after 47 combined points before halftime, only six were scored after the break. Pleasantville converted a fake punt in the fourth quarter and was able to run out the clock and secure the 13-point victory.  

Despite the heartbreaking loss, head coach Justin Brekke reflected on the year and how special this journey was with his team.  

“This season has been one of the most rewarding seasons possible for me as a coach,” said Brekke. “The turnaround from week one to week ten was remarkable and all the credit goes to our players. They kept fighting and more importantly kept believing. They believed in  the coaches, their teammates, and most importantly themselves.”  

Last Friday marked the final game for seniors Anderson Yoder, Levi Roberts, Mason Fogt, Blake Taylor, Miguel Gomez, and Devin Lang. The group made the playoffs each of their four years of high school, breaking through this season by hosting and winning a playoff game.  Brekke praised their leadership and the legacy they leave behind.  

“These seniors kept everyone on track during the rough part of our season and kept everyone humble and hungry during the successful parts. They absolutely made the best of their four years in a Pirate uniform and will be missed tremendously.”