Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

CARROLLTON – The Coosa Valley Rebels may have fallen short against the Pickens Pirates on Friday, Sept. 15, but the Rebels took an important step and got on the scoreboard for the first time in 2023.

Pickens picked up the 45-20 win over Coosa Valley in their regional showdown, but Coosa Valley coach Vince DiLorenzo was encouraged by the progress that he saw his team make this week.

“We showed flashes of how good we can be when we do our job,” DiLorenzo said.

Rebels quarterback Konner Steele had his best performance yet with 212 yards off 11-for-20 passing and just one interception.

Hunter Willis was Steele’s top receiver with four catches for 86 yards. Coby Moore was not far behind Willis with two catches for 68 yards, and Jake McArthur had a 37-yard grab for his lone reception of the game.

Over on defense, Willis, Kaeden Smalls and Rhett Johnson each played an impactful role on that side of the ball with five tackles each. Brycen Wilson had a forced fumble on top of his two tackles, and Steele earned two tackles and a sack.

Coosa Valley’s momentum started in the fourth after being held scoreless in the opening three quarters, with the Pirates scoring five touchdowns during that span to go up 38-0.

In the final period, the Rebels not only completed their first scoring drive of the season, but they scored on three straight drives in the quarter.

Coosa Valley opened with a rushing touchdown with 11 minutes left in the game to get on the board, and they followed that up just four minutes later with another scoring run to cut Pickens’ lead to 38-14.

The Rebels would go on to score their third rushing touchdown of the game with less than two minutes to go to pull within 18 points of the Pirates. Pickens extended its lead to 25 on the next drive to go up 45-20, which proved to be the final score.

Coosa Valley will look to keep their momentum rolling against Banks on Sept. 22 in the first of back-to-back home games for the Rebels.