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The Pike County Bulldogs (1-1, 1-0) earned a wild 21-15 win over the Geneva Panthers (0-2, 0-1) in a Class 4A, Region 2 matchup on Thursday on the road.

Pike County managed to earn its first win of the season despite not being able to get out of its own way for a majority of the game. The Bulldogs turned the ball over once, gave up a safety, were penalized a staggering 10 times – eight in the first half – for a loss of 77 yards, saw three long scores called back on penalties, had a number of poor snaps and even gave up a go-ahead touchdown with 40 seconds left, yet still came away with the win.

The game couldn’t have started off much worse for Pike County as Geneva marched right down the field on its first drive and scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 6:46 left in the opening period to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead. Pike County then saw two of its first three plays result in negative yardage due to poor snaps, the second of which resulted in a safety to give Geneva a 9-0 lead.

Finally, Pike County got going when Braylin Jackson scampered for an 84-yard touchdown run on the Bulldogs’ next drive, but an illegal procedure penalty wiped that score out. Jackson, however, scored just two plays later on a 60-yard run to cut the lead to 9-7 with 1:58 left in the period.

In the second quarter, Jackson scored on an 82-yard run but yet another penalty took it off the scoreboard. Neither team was able to find the end zone for the remainder of the half and Geneva led 9-7 at halftime. Jackson once again saw a touchdown run – this time from 37 yards out – taken off the scoreboard following a penalty in the third quarter.

Things started heating up in the fourth quarter when Bulldog Khalil Foster intercepted Geneva passes on back-to-back drives. Freshman quarterback A’Zhoree Eutsey then put Pike County ahead for the first time in the game when he scored on a 1-yard run with 8:52 left in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs a 14-9 lead.

It looked like Pike County might secure the win when Foster intercepted a third pass late in the fourth but yet another penalty wiped that out. Geneva quarterback Tanner Sizemore then found Dalton Mock for a 39-yard touchdown pass with just 40 seconds remaining to give the Panthers a 15-14 lead. The two-point conversation attempt was no good, however.

After Jackson gave Pike County good field position on the ensuing kickoff, Eutsey scrambled and found Jackson racing across the middle of the field. Jackson managed to break two tackles on his way to a 37-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining. The PAT gave Pike County a 21-15 lead.

On Geneva’s last gasp “Hail Mary,” Antonio Patterson earned a third Bulldog interception on the night.

Pike County rolled up 276 yards of offense with 157 yards on the ground. Jackson rushed for 109 yards and a score on 11 carries, while catching two passes for 47 yards and another score. Eutsey completed 5-of-13 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown along with rushing for 12 yards and a touchdown. Ben Patterson led the PCHS defense with 10 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, one sack and a pass breakup. Foster recorded five tackles and two interceptions, while Zaikeilen recorded eight tackles.

Geneva earned 233 yards of offense with just 30 yards on the ground. Sizemore completed 13-of-24 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions, while Mock caught nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.

Pike County is on the road next week at Opp in another region game.