The turnover bug that plagued Pinckneyville early in the season reared its ugly head Saturday in the first round of the IHSA 2A football playoffs.
The Panthers lost three fumbles and tossed two interceptions in a 33-16 loss at Bismarck-Henning.
“Turnovers were a big part in the loss,” said Pinckneyville coach Tod Rushing. “The difference in the game was that they held onto the football and we didn’t. You can’t beat a good team when you are constantly turning the ball over”
Bismarck-Henning grabbed the momentum early scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.
An 18-yard touchdown run by Justin Hale at the 8:14 mark in the second quarter cut the deficit to 14-8.
That would be as close as Pinckneyville would get as Bismarck-Henning scored the next 19 points for a commanding 33-8 lead.
Pinckneyville got the final score of the game, a 15-yard touchdown pass from Bryant Shute to Ky Hamilton with 15 seconds left in the game.
Bismarck-Henning finished with 311 yards of total offense, while Pinckneyville was held to 199.
“Bismarck-Henning was what we expected,” said Rushing. “They were a physical team with good size. They played well and deserved to win.”
Shute finished with 68 yards rushing and 55 yards passing to pace the Panther offense. Hale added 41 yards on five carries, while Cole Kellerman had 38 yards on the ground on 11 attempts.
With the loss, Pinckneyville ended its best season in 30 years with a 7-3 record as the program is still looking for its first win in the playoffs after three tries.
“Obviously we had a great season and exceeded a lot of people’s expectations,” said Rushing. “We hope to build on this success for the future but it is up to the kids to put in the hard work.”