By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PIKEVILLE, Ky, — There’s a 1990s Exxon commercial that tells people if they use their gas you put a tiger in your tank.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers had plenty in their tank on Friday as they used a big fourth quarter to beat the Pikeville Panthers 48-33 in a battle of interstate powers.

Ironton (6-1) fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter only to battle back to tie the game 21-all at halftime. The game was 27–27 after three quarters but the Fighting Tigers proved to have just as much fuel in their tank in the fourth quarter as when they started the game by scoring 21 unanswered points to build a 48-27 lead.

Ironton finished with 315 yards including 230 on the ground. Terry ran 3 times for 9yards and a score, Carmon 6 carries for 50 yards and a TD, Schreck 17 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, and Zayne “The Train” William had 36 yards on 9 attempts with a score.

Schreck was12-of-19 passing for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns. Braylon Baker had 34 yards receiving on 3 attempts and TD while Nick Sites had one catch for 22 yards and a score.

Ironton’s defense came up with 3 interceptions. Williams had a pick to set up Ironton’s second second touchdown, Brycen Mullins had hit second Pick-6 of the season and Josh Johnson came up with an interception on the game’s final play.

Pikeville had 326 total yards as quarterback Isaac Dutey was 11-of-24 for 204 yards and 3 TDs. Deonte Stevens caught 3 passes for 69 yards and a score..

The Panthers ran for 122 yards as both Brenden Anthony got 63 yards on 20 carries and a score while Jayden Justice also had 63 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.

The Panthers took the opening kickoff and went 65 yards in 7 plays highlighted by Justice’s 44-yard run to the one-yards one. Anthony finished off the drive and it was 7-0 at the 8:53 mark.

Ironton was unable to move the ball and a partially blocked punt gave Pikeville the ball at the Fighting Tigers’ 44-yard line.

It took 7 plays to score with Justice running 7 yards for the score and Steve Gonzalez-Santes’ kick made it 14-0 at the 5:05 mark.

Schreck then engineered a 55-yard, 7-play drive as he ran 3 times  for 26 yards including an 18-yard gain to the 6 and he went the final 5 yards for the score. David Fields’ conversion kick cut the deficit in half at 14-7 with 2:20 left in the quarter.

Williams intercepted a pass at the Pikeville 25 and 3 plays later Carmon fought his way into the end zone from 16 yards out and the game was tied 14-all with 8:27 on the clock.

Pikeville answered with a 79-yard, 9-play march capped by a 31-yard scoring strike from Dutey to Bradyn Hall and the Panthers were back in the lead at 21-14 and 2:16 to go in the half.

A 54-yard punt by Schreck back Pikeville deep in its own territory at the 1-yard line. Faced with fourth down at the 8, the Panthers punted but a bad snap on the play to punter Jeremiah Anderson caused him to try and kick on the run from his own end zone and the kick traveled just one yards.

With the ball at the 9-yard line, Schreck hit Terry with a pass in the end zone and Fields’ kick tied the game at 21 with just 25 seconds left in the half.

Mr. Electric gave Ironton its first lead of the game on the first play of the second half as Terry took a pop toss handoff and raced 80 yards for the touchdown. The conversion kick failed and it was 27-21 just 15 seconds into the third quarter.

The Panthers were able to tie the game on a 34-yard pass from Isaac to Stevens at the 1:55 mark of the quarter. The conversion kick was blocked.

Starting at their own 36, Ironton went on a 13-play drive that spilled over into the fourth quarter with Schreck hitting Sites on a 22-yard scoring pass on a fourth and goal play that he caught off a deflection.

The kick failed and the lead was 33-27 with 9:56 left.

Pikeville shanked a punt that went just 6 yards and Ironton had the ball at its own 48. The Fighting Tigers covered the distance in 6 plays with Williams rumbling through the defense for 16 yards and the score.

Terry leaped his way into the end zone on the conversion and it was 41-27 with 3:16 to play.

On third and 5, Dutey just managed to get off a pass under heavy pressure from Jesse Copas and Mullins picked off the throw and returned it 32 yards for the touchdown with 2:08 to play. Fields’ kick extended the lead to 48-27.

Pikeville used a 65-yard screen pass to Anthony for its final second with just 1:49 left.

Ironton plays at unbeaten Fairland next Friday.

Pikeville is now 2-5 against the strong schedule. Besides Ironton, the 3-time defending Class A champions have also lost to Corbin 22-7, Johnson Central 37-15, Lexington Christian 40-26, and Belfry 35-21. They finish the season with Paintsville, Hazard and Boyd County, all potential wins.

Ironton    7 14 6 21 = 48

Pikeville 14 7 6 6 = 33

First Quarter

P — Brenden Anthony 1 run (Steve Gonzalez-Santes kick)  8:55

P — Jayden Justice 8 run (Steve Gonzalez-Santes kick) 5:05

Irn — Braden Schreck 5 run (David Fields kick) 2:20

Second Quarter

Irn — Tyler Carmon 16 run (David Fields kick) 8:27

P — Bradyn Hall 31 pass from Isaac Dutey (Steve Gonzalez-Santes kick)  2:16

Irn — Shaun Terry 9 pass from Braden Schreck (David Fields kick) 0:25

Third Quarter

Irn — Shaun Terry 80 run (kick failed) 8:27

P — Deonte Sevens 34 pass from Isaac Dutey (kick blocked) 1:55

Fourth Quarter

Irn — Nick Sites 22 pass from Braden Schreck (kick failed) 9:56

Irn — Zayne Williams 16 run (Terry run) 3:16

Irn — Brycen Mullins 32 interception return (David Fields kick) 2:08

P — Brenden Anthony 65 pass from Isaac Dutey (kick failed) 1:49

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IrnPV

First downs 13 16

Rushes-yards 35-230 33-122

Passing yards 85 204

Total yards 315 326

Cmp-Att-Int 12-19-0 11-24-3

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 9-75 3-35

Punts-average 3-36.3 4-17.3

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING–Ironton: Shaun Terry 3-99 TD, Braden Schreck 17-45 TD, Tyler Carmon 6-50 TD, Zayne Williams 9-36 TD, Jesse Copas 1-3; Pikeville: Brenden Anthony 20-63, Jaylen Justice 11-63 TD, Isaac Dutey 2-minus 4.

PASSING–Ironton: Braden Schreck 12-19-0 85 2-TD; Pikeville: Isaac Dutey 11-24-3 204 3-TD.

RECEIVING–Ironton: Braylon Baker 3-34 TD, Nick Sites 1-22 TD, Tyler Roach 2-15, Shaun Terry 4-9 TD; Pikeville: Deonte Stevens 3-69 TD, Brenden Anthony 1-65 TD, Jaylen Justice 1-15, Bradyn Hall 3-41 TD, Harrison Fields 1-9, Jaydon Muncy 2-5

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.