Due to on-going field reconditioning efforts at Charlestown High School’s Dutch Reis Field, the Annual Blue-White Scrimmage has been CANCELED this season and the annual August 12th scrimmage with Floyd Central has been moved to Floyd Central High School with a 6:00 pm start time.  Tentatively, and also as a result of field reconditioning, the Monday, August 22nd JV football game versus Madison is being moved to Madison HS.  For more information about Pirate Football, go to www.PiratePride.BLUE/Football.

Charlestown Pirate Football solidified their offensive groove Friday night in the Bone Yard, hosting #2 Heritage Hills (8-2) in the Class 3A Sectional #31 opener.  Despite unorganized officiating, the Pirates fought through ten penalties and a couple bouts of cramps to rally from a 24-7 third quarter deficit to edge Heritage Hills 39-37.  The win not only advances the Pirates (8-2) to Friday’s Sectional Semi-Final against #15 Brownstown; but it also ended the pesky post season success the Patriots (4-1) have had over Charlestown.  During the pre-game conversation with CPPSB.com, Coach Hawkins revealed a game plan built around pounding it away on the ground; which Coach and the Pirates executed to a such a degree that plain worn out the famously disciplined perennial power from just west of Santa Claus, Indiana.  While the Pirate offense put the Patriots on their heals midway through the third quarter, Coach Brafford and the Pirate Defense provided the necessary stops and disruptions to allow the Pirates to rally to a 31-31 tie with 7:04 remaining in the game.  The Pirate offense out-rushed the visitors 475 to 217; holding their multi-purpose Senior standout Kenton Crews to just 74 yards.  Charlestown saw three players rush for more than a hundred yards in the game.  Junior Antonyo Gaddie, named the Coyle Chevy, Buick, GMC and Coyle Nissan Offensive Player of the Game, finished the contest with 171 ground yards on 29 carries and three scores.  Junior QB Brendan Lawler finished with 158 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown, while also adding 45 yards of passing and another touchdown to Junior Garrett Woods on two of four tosses.  Senior Tate Boley added 115 yards on just seven carries.  Senior Quinton Fetz was named the Coyle Chevy, Buick, GMC and Coyle Nissan Defensive Player of the Game after leading the Pirates with five solo tackles and providing the motivation the defensive line needed while compromising the Patriot offensive plan.  The Pirates took a 39-31 lead with 1:35 remaining before Heritage Hills answered three plays later.  The difference at the end of the game being a missed conversion pass with 1:04 left which would have likely forced overtime.  The Pirates, for the second straight year, will host conference rival Brownstown (8-2) in Friday’s Sectional semi-final.  The Braves dispatched Salem 43-18 Friday night.  Listen to the archived broadcast of Friday’s game at www.CPPSB.com.

Don’t miss your chance this Friday to pick up your favorite Charlestown Football T-Shirt or Hat to support the football team during their state play-off run. There will be cotton t-shirts for $5.00, climate control shirts for $10.00, blankets $20.00, spirit towels $5.00, and ball caps for $20.00. Sizes are available from adult small through adult 4X while supplies last. There is a limited supply of youth large t-shirts and youth large hoodies. The t-shirts are $5.00 and the youth hoodies are $20.00 while supplies last.

Pirate Football merchandise will be available from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the corner of Park St and HWY 3 Friday October 23rd.  Sales are being held Friday afternoon due to the IHSAA rule of no spirit item sales on school property during state playoff games. 100% of all proceeds go directly to supporting the football team during the 2015 State Playoffs.

The IHSAA conducted its blind draw to determine the Sectional first round match-ups in the annual Indiana HS Football State Tournament Sunday evening.  The Charlestown Pirates (6-2) will host Heritage Hills (7-1) in the lower bracket, to open Class 3A Sectional #30 play on Friday, October 23rd at 8:00 PM (EDT).  The remaining Sectional #30 pairings include Corydon at Brown County and North Harrison at Southridge in the upper half of the bracket; and in the lower half of the bracket, Salem at Brownstown.

For more information on the State Class 3A Football Tournament CLICK HERE; or for more information Pirate Football, go to www.PiratePride.BLUE/Football.  For complete live coverage of Pirate Football in the 2015 State Tourney, follow Charlestown Pirate Pride Sports on Twitter at @CPPSB.

Not rain, nor gusting winds, nor ankle deep forty degree mud, nor visiting Panthers could slow the Pirates Friday night, hosting the Corydon (4-3 & 3-2 MSC) in the Bone Yard.  The Pirates racked up 458 yards of offensive Friday night, while holding the highly touted Corydon tandem of Kopp and Buck to just 235 yards of total offense.  Panther Junior RB Austin Kopp came into the contest averaging near 220 rushing yards per game, and was held to 111 yards (including a 69 yard break away touchdown run) by the Pirate Defense.

Corydon and Charlestown spent the first quarter trading two touchdown runs apiece for a 16-13 Pirate advantage after one complete.  Gaddie scored Charlestown’s first two touchdowns on scoring runs of 3 and 48 yards respectively.  The Pirates forced the Panthers to fumble the ball nine times, four of which were lost.  Charlestown (5-2 & 4-2 MSC) led 24-13 at halftime after Junior Pirate QB Brendan Lawler scamped through the mud for 28 yard touchdown score just before the break.

The Pirates opened the second half with the ball, after winning the coin toss and deferring before the start.  Junior RB Antoyno Gaddie, on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, broke free of four tackles and scored on a 66 yard carry to stretch the lead to 32-13.  Charlestown finished the night a perfect seven for seven in two point conversion attempts.  The Gaddie score seemed to break the drive of the visitors, but then another fumble gave the ball back to the Pirates when Junior QB Brendan Lawler scored on a 55 yard touchdown scramble to increase the Pirate lead to 27 with 4:59 remaining in the third.  Charlestown scored a third time in the third when Lawler hit Junior WR Garrett Woods for a 40 yard touchdown pass.  Gaddie, who finished the game with 209 rushing yards, added a ten yard rushing score with 10:37 remaining in the game; after Corydon’s Kopp broke free for a 69 yard touchdown run.  Brendan Lawler finished the game with 2 of 6 for 92 yards passing and 140 yards of rushing on 11 carries.  Simon Woolrdige led the Pirate defense with 13 tackles by games end; and was named the Coyle Chevy, Buick, GMC & Coyle Nissan Defensive Player of the Game.  Gaddie was named the Offensive Player of the Game, in the 56-19 win.

The Pirates, who had been averaging seven penalties a game, cleaned it up Friday night to just two for 32 yards.  The Pirates travel to Providence (2-5) next Friday for a none conference showdown with the Pioneers at 7:00 pm.

Charlestown JV Football hosted their Brownstown Braves counterparts Monday evening at Dutch Reis Field.  After spotting the visiting Braves an 8-0 lead, the defense shored things up and the offense got going as well to come back and win 19-8.  Offensively, carries were split between Nathan Thomas, Amado Gomez, and Kain Blankenship.  Nathan also rushed for two touchdowns.  Logan Gurr completed four passes for 70 yards to Mitch Wurtsmith, one of those for a go ahead TD to gain a 12-8 lead.  Calvin McClelland also coverted a PAT kick. Mitch was named the offensive player of the game; while defensively, interior line play was strong by Aden Dennison and Sean Baker.  Max Mitchell provided pressure off the edge and Dakota Porter added an interception.  Aden was named the defensive player of the game with 9 tackles.  The JV Pirate team is now 2-0 and 1-0 in MSC play.

Congratulations to Tate “T8” Boley! During Charlestown Pirate Football’s 31-30 season opener win over Madison, “T8” received a Madison punt and returned it for a 90 yard Touchdown; setting a New Charlestown High School Football Record for the Longest Punt Return for a Touchdown. The previous record (85 yards TD return) was set in 1986 by Jeff VanMeter, versus Corydon.