Estill – The Patrick Henry Academy football team is treading on some uncharted ground at the moment. The Patriots are 7-0 on the season and ranked first in the latest High School Sports Report SCISA Class A Pick 6 poll.
Needless to say, PHA head coach Joe Gray Peeples doesn’t mind the location.
“This is kind of new territory for us,” said Peeples, who took the job last summer as Patrick Henry was transitioning from decades in 8-man football to 11-man. “We had some success last year when we won four in a row. We knew we could compete with anybody, and we rolled to this year with the skill players and we’re following through with that.”
While the Patriots were averaging over 40 points a game through six contests, Peeples thinks the best is yet to come.
“I don’t think we've played our best football on the offensive side yet this season,” said Peeples, whose squad got an unexpected bye last week when The King's Academy had to forfeit due to a lack of players from injuries.”
Senior quarterback Hugh Fairey leads the offense. He completed 57 of 104 passes for 1,059 yards and nine touchdowns through six games. He also rushed for 531 yards and seven TDs on 59 carries.
Fairey’s twin brother, Forest Fairey, is the leading receiver. He had 25 catches for 556 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Al-Tariq Johnson had 10 catches for 247 yards and two TDs, and junior Mikell Tucker Mathis had 10 cagtches for 180 yards and a score.
Mathis is the second leading rusher with 344 yards and eight touchdowns on 54 carries.
“I think we have right at over 1,000 yards rushing (1,091) and 1,200 passing (1,190),” Peeples said. “You can’t divide it up much better than that. We try to do both and take what the defense gives us.”
The Patriots are having to make due without the left side of their offensive line for the rest of the season. Left guard senior Nathan Corley and left tackle junior A.J. Jarrell suffered season-ending injuries.
Senior Wyatt Greene is now at left tackle with senior Allen Berg at left guard.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have some depth,” Peeples said. “This is the time of year where it starts to help you out, to have some viable alternatives.”
Senior linebacker Hance McCrary leads the defense with 30 tackles to go with five tackles for loss. Mathis has 29 tackles, a team high seven TFLs, two interceptions and a fumble recovery, senior defensive end Andrew Searles has 29 tackles and one TFL, and Berg has 20 tackles and five TFLs.
PHA plays at Dorchester on October 6 and travels to Branchville High School on Oct. 13. After an off week, it closes the regular season at home against defending Class A state runner-up Thomas Heyward Academy.
“That game’s building up to see who will be the top dog,” Peeples said. “Our whole deal has been to have homefield advantage in the playoffs.”
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