Pattonville Playoff Bound With Win Against Francis Howell Central

After the final whistle had been blown at Don Muench Memorial Stadium two teams headed in opposite directions.

In one corner of the field the Pattonville Pirates danced and yelled. A common chant among the players was simply "playoffs."

In a Class 6, District 5 game, the Pirates had knocked off the Francis Howell Central Spartans 21-7 to improve to 2-0 in Districts—guaranteeing a spot in the postseason. 

"It's really big for us," Pattonville head coach Steve Smith said. "We have a lot of young guys and they get to experience the playoffs, regardless of what happens in the future. These guys have opportunity to play in the playoffs and see what it is about. They have a chance to go do some things."

While the Pirates celebrated, the Spartans did the opposite. Tears streamed down the faces of Howell Central seniors and many heads were down in reflection. The loss eliminated the Spartans from postseason play, meaning next week is the last game of the season, and for some, their careers. 

"To be honest, we didn't deserve to go into the playoffs," Howell Central head coach Todd Berck said. "We could've been a .500 team at best. When you win three games, talking about the playoffs—it would have been a neat experience for the kids, but you only deserve what you earn."

Before the sun went down and things turned from chilly to cold, the Spartans jumped out to an early lead. Just under two minutes into the contest, sophomore quarterback Brody Allen found senior wideout Jayden Lumpa for a quick strike.

Lumpa caught the pass in stride and then hit the afterburners. Pirate defenders gave chase, but could catch the speedy Lumpa. Sixty four yards later, the Spartans had a touchdown and 7-0 lead.

Howell Central tried to push the lead to 10 points midway through the first quarter, but a field goal went wide left and the Pirates took over at its own 20-yard line with 4:10 to play in the quarter.

Pattonville quarterback Darren Davidson quickly put the Pirates into Howell Central territory. Davidson scrambled for 52 yards to take the Pirates down to the 10-yard line. On the very next play, Myron Buchanan punched in the score and tied up the game at 7-7. 

Howell Central fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but the Pirates failed to capitalize on the field position. The missed chances were a theme for the Pirates. Multiple times the Pirates were gifted great field position, but couldn't put point on the board. 

"I'm not a point guy, I don't care about how many points we score," Smith said. "I care about how many points we stop the opponent from scoring. The one thing I am disappointed about is our lack of execution. We had opportunities, but we just didn't take advantage of them."

The offense wasn't entirely stifled, however. With just 2:41 left in the half, the Pirates took advantage of another turnover by the defense. From 33 yards out, Buchanan scampered into the end zone for a score and a 14-7 halftime lead. 

Things got a little confusing late in the third quarter. The Pirates were facing a fourth and goal from the 3-yard line and Howell Central called a timeout to talk things over. During the timeout, Pattonville's Jeremiah Wilkins took off his No. 52 jersey and exchanged it with a No. 48 jersey. Players with numbers in the 50s can't carry the ball, so Wilkins' number switch to an eligible number raised eyebrows on the Spartan sideline.

Figuring the new guy might take the ball, the Spartans attempted to call another timeout, but the ball was snapped before the whistle was blown. Howell Central stopped Wilkins, but the officials ruled the play dead and granted Central the stoppage.

After the back-to-back stoppages, Wilkins caught a three-yard pass to put Pattonville up 21-7.

In the fourth quarter Central tried to mount a comeback with a new man behind center—senior Chip Miller. 

Miller was thrown into the fire and faced an amped up defense. With a playoff spot on the line, the Pirates went for the kill.

"I tell you what, these kids, I have no idea," Smith said with a smile. "I'm looking at them and I'm amazed. I'm seeing guys make sacks that haven't had a sack this year, or haven't had many sacks this year. They were just getting there. It was a sight to see. I'm proud of those guys."

Howell Central falls to 3-6 on the year and 0-2 in District play. The Spartans host Francis Howell North next Friday at home.

"I thought our kids played hard," Berck said. "We were a lot more physical than we have been in the last couple of games. I'm proud of their effort. We just made too many mistakes in the first half."

The Pirates are now 4-5 on the season and 2-0 in the District. Pattonville will try and go for the perfect record next week at Francis Howell. 

"It's always good to know [we're in the playoffs], but we still have to work," Smith said.