Estill – Joe Gray Peeples thought he had a good football team at Patrick Henry Academy coming into the 2023 season. He couldn’t quite tell what he had though after the season opener, beating fledgling Cross Schools 55-0.
He got a better idea of things when the Patriots took on St. John’s Christian, which thumped them by a 42-6 count in the first round of the SCISA Class A state playoffs last year. PHA rolled to a 33-8 win over the Cavaliers.
“It's great being 2-0, and that’s where we should be,” said Peeples, who led Patrick Henry to a 6-4 record last year in its first season of 11-man football in decades. “We’re trying to make that second year in 11-man better than the first.
“They (St. John’s Christian) made some mistakes that we took advantage of, and we made some mistakes and they didn’t. It was not an easy win, but a comfortable win.”
The Patriots are getting a major test on September 1 when they play host to defending Class A state champion Lee Academy.
PHA returns seven starters on defense and six on offense. There are three starters back on the defensive line in senior Cohen Freeman and juniors AJ Jarell and Mikell Tucker Mathis. Senior Wyatt Greene is the other lineman.
Two senior starters are back at linebacker Andrew Searles and Hance McCrary. Freshman Luke Sobey is the other LB.
The returning starters in the secondary are Forest Fairey and Sims Brunson. Senior Al-Tariq Johnson is a talented newcomer.
“Our defense was lights out against St. John’s,” Peeples said. “Offense is what we’re still working on.”
Senior Hugh Fairey, Forest’s twin brother, is starting at quarterback. Mathis, who Peeples said is one of the best players in SCISA, and Jarrell are the running backs.
Mathis has rushed for 141 yards and five touchdowns on 17 carries and has one catch for 29 yards. Defensively, he has a team high 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and two interceptions, one he returned for a touchdown.
Forest Fairey is playing wide receiver with Greene at tight end.
Left guard Allen Berg and right guard Searles, both seniors, are the returning starters on the offensive line. Freeman is the right tackle, sophomore Landon Polk is the left tackle and junior Spencer Kelehear is the center.
Brunson is handling the kicking duties and Mikell is the punter.
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