Tornadoes open 2A playoffs against Heidelberg High
It’s like a new season opens for the Philadelphia Tornado football team as they visit Heidelberg High School in the first round of the Class 2A state football playoffs.
The Tornadoes come in at 4-6. They dropped a 36-28 decision to Newton High School this past Friday night. But this coming Friday night, both teams are 0-0 and the loser goes home. Tornadoes coach David Frey said his team has to fix their mistakes from the Newton game.
“We had a lot of mistakes. Too many turnovers. Too many missed tackles,” Coach David Frey said. “You can’t make those mistakes and hope to win.
“Heidelberg is going to be a challenge. They run the ball and we are going to have to stop them. They have good athletes.”
Heidelberg enters the game with a 5-3 record.
In the Newton game, neither team scored in the first quarter. Philadelphia struck first with 2:29 left in the first half when quarterback Marcus Beamon connected with Andrew Carter on a 19-yard TD pass play. Adrian Luke kicked the extra point and the Tornadoes led 7-0.
Philadelphia kicked off and forced Newton to punt four plays later. Beamon connected with Darius Grady on a 25-yard TD pass. Luke kicked the extra point and the Tornadoes led 14-0.
Philadelphia kicked off with 13 seconds left. The Tigers ran the ball back to the Philadelphia 15-yard line as time expired. But a penalty gave the Tigers the ball with one play. Quarterback Tyreke Snow threw a touchdown pass and ran in the 2-point conversion. At the half, Philadelphia led 14-8.
Newton took the second half kickoff and drove 80 yards in nine plays for its first score of the game. Snow scored on a five-yard run. The extra point try failed and the game was tied at 14-14 with 8:53 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers drove down to the Philadelphia 5-yard line. There was a fumble and Andrew Carter recovered for the Tornadoes.
Newton regained possession and drove in for a touchdown. Snow threw a 52-yard TD pass. The extra point failed and Newton led 20-14.
The Tornadoes returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards to the Newton High 20-yard line. Two plays later, Trey Posey caught a 17-yard TD pass, Beamon ran in the 2-point conversion and the Tornadoes led 22-20 going into the fourth quarter.
Chancellor Greer ran 45 yards to the Newton High 1-yard line. Beamon scored on the next play. The extra point try failed and the Tornadoes led 28-20 with 10:36 left in the game.
But Newton came back to score twice in the final minutes and took the victory. First, Snow threw a 6-yard TD pass and scored the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 28-28.
The teams exchanged possessions. The Newton intercepted a pass to set up the go-ahead score. Snow threw a 62-yard TD pass. The two-point conversion was good and the Tigers took the lead and the victory.
The Tigers open the Class 2A playoffs at Mize Friday night.