By ANDREW SKWARA For Brentwood Home Page Christ Presbyterian Academy has fallen behind twice to Pearl-Cohn this season. And twice CPA has now come back to win.
The second comeback earned CPA a trip to the Class 3A state semifinals. The Lions erased a 7-0 halftime deficit with three unanswered touchdowns on their way to a 21-7 triumph at home on a cold Friday night in the state quarterfinals.
(Photos by Andrew Skwara for BHP)
CPA (12-1) will now travel to Milan next Friday night with a spot in a state championship game on the line. It's also another big step forward in what has been a remarkable turnaround for first-year head coach Ingle Martin, who took over a Lions team coming off a 5-6 mark last year.
"From the first day our goal has been to win a state championship and we have never wavered in that," Martin said. "Our kids bought in during the second half and believed in each other and we got a good win tonight."
Taking advantage of Pearl-Cohn's miscues was the difference in the rematch -- CPA came back from 10-0 deficit to win 14-10 on Oct. 28, also at home.
With the score tied 7-7 early in the fourth quarter, a Hunter Thurley interception combined with a 15-yard personal foul gave CPA the ball at the Pearl-Cohn 8-yard line.
Four plays later, quarterback Albert Mitchell rolled to his left and patiently waited for Sam Cranford to get open in the back of the end zone before firing the ball into Cranford's chest. J.R. Osborne's extra point put the Lions up 14-7.
"Sam is as good a wide receiver as there is in the state and that was just a great player making a great play," Martin said.
After the CPA defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, Pearl-Cohn's second botched snap on a punt was recovered by James Elliott for a TD. Another Osborne extra point put the Lions up by the final margin with 5:06 to play.
That was the fourth turnover for Pearl-Cohn (7-6), which also hurt itself with 10 penalties for 71 yards.
CPA played virtually mistake-free, not making any turnovers and having two penalties for 10 yards.
The momentum shifted when CPA started out the second half with an 80-yard drive that was capped with a 10-yard touchdown run from Mitchell. The Lions made a minor switch on offense and used only running plays to cover the entire drive.
"We had a little wrinkle for them that gave our kids an advantage," Martin said. "Our backs had to hit the hole and they did a better job of that in the second half."
Pearl-Cohn, which won two playoff games despite a .500 regular-season record, looked like it might pull off another upset early on when Trevon Miles took a carry in the first quarter and burst down the left sideline and into open space. Miles scampered into the end zone to put the Firebirds up 7-0.
But Pearl-Cohn never got back into the red zone and CPA forced three fumbles out of their offense.
"(Defensive coordinator) Kevin Smith did a great job with the defense," Martin said. "They just played hard."
CPA tried two onside kicks without recovering either, including one to start the game. Osborne also missed three field goal attempts.
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