4A Team of the Week: Pine Tree Pirates
Pine Tree made the drop from 5A Division II to 4A Division I this offseason due to realignment. It looks like the Pirates are fitting in just fine at their new classification.
Last Friday, they went to the defending 4A Division II state champions Gilmer and pulled off a shocking 22-15 victory.
Gilmer actually jumped out to a 12-0 lead before Pine Tree quarterback MJ Cates scored on a one-yard sneak midway through the second quarter.
Cates wasn’t done. He called his own number again late in the third quarter with a seven-yard touchdown scamper. A successful two-point conversion following that score tied the game at 15.
His final act came in the fourth quarter. He found senior receiver Jordan Taylor wide open behind the Gilmer defense with just four-and-a-half minutes left for a 52 yard bomb that ended up being the game-winner.
🚨 HUGE UPSET ALERT 🚨
LONGVIEW PINE TREE TAKES DOWN THE DEFENDING STATE CHAMPS #2 GILMER!! 😱😱@uiltexas | #TXHSFB pic.twitter.com/T8BZ1oL0FV
— BallySportsTXHS (@BallySportsTXHS) August 31, 2024
Pine Tree is coming off a strong season last year where the Pirates went 6-5 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They’ll look to continue to establish themselves as a contender at the 4A level this Friday when they host Van at 7:30.
