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Photo/Mike Hensley Jade Sikes runs the football for the Trojans.

Messenger Photo/Mike Hensley Cody Hollis runs the ball for the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots during their 24-17 win over Crenshaw Christian on Friday night.

Photo/Mike Hensley Cody Hollis takes a handoff down the sideline.

Photo/Mike Hensley Drew Nelson (6) waits to receive a snap along side Cody Hollis (8) and Jade Sikes (10)

Photo/Mike Hensley Patriot defenders tackle a Crenshaw ball carrier.

Photo/Mike Hensley Jade Sikes (10) runs the ball for the patriots .

Photo/Mike Hensley Chip Faircloth (11) Jade Sikes (10) and Cody Hollis (8) talk before a play during Friday night's game.

The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots improved to 2-0 on the season with a 24-7 win over Crenshaw Christian Academy on Friday night in Luverne.

Both sidelines featured familiar faces on Friday night. Former Pike Liberal Arts Headmaster Becky Baggett is now at Crenshaw, and former Pike County head coach Wayne Grant is now patrolling the Cougar sideline. Pike Liberal Arts head coach Gene Allen is a graduate of Crenshaw County.

Allen and the Patriots took advantage of Cougar miscues on their way to their second win of the season.

In all the Patriots forced five turnovers, four of which came in the first half. The Patriots were able to turn those four turnovers into 17 of their 24 points.

The Patriots jumped on the board first when Scott Taylor Renfroe drilled a 29-yard field goal to give Pike the early 3-0 lead.

After a Davis Allen interception ended the the first quarter, Cody Hollis ended the Patriots first drive of the second with a 4-yard touchdown run to push Pike’s lead to 10-0.

Senior Jade Sikes made the start at quarterback Friday night, but was later replaced in the second quarter by freshman Drew Nelson. The freshman quarterback made his presence known with a 55-yard touchdown pass to Sikes to put the Patriots up 17-0 with 5:00 remaining in the opening half.

On the following kickoff, the Cougars got on the board with a 69-yard return for a touchdown to bring the score to 17-7.

Nick O’Brian picked off a pass for the Patriot’s final turnover of the half and set the Patriots up inside the Cougar 6. Hollis finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 24-7 entering the half.

Neither team mustered much of anything in the second half and the Patriots cruised to a comfortable 17-point win.

Hollis finished the game with 36 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns. Max Copeland led the defense with 13 tackles, while Grant Wilkes had 9 and Sikes had 7.

The Patriots will be back on the road next week when they travel to take on Freeport. Kick off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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