Peabody rallies back for wild 48-44 victory against Grant

By LaMar Gafford 

Photo of Peabody senior quarterback Caleb Davidson

DRY PRONG - It might have been Week 8, but Friday’s game between Peabody and Grant brought forth a playoff atmosphere.

The Warhorses defeated Grant, 48-44, to snap their three-game losing streak and to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

“Coming out of the first half, it looked like the life was taken out of us,” Peabody coach Harry Coleman said. “But we regrouped and they came out and fought.”

The Warhorses scored the final 28 points in the last 16 minutes as they rallied back from a 44-20 deficit.

Senior Caleb Davidson accounted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown with 3:43 to go to complete the comeback.

Peabody (4-4, 1-2 District 2-4A) was sparked by the return of Dartavin Depass, who injured his shoulder in Week 3 against Logansport. Depass did not wait too long to make up for lost time by catching two touchdown passes, while fellow receiver T.J. Hullaby added three touchdowns of his own.

“(Depass) brings a lot of energy to our team with his hard work and dedication,” Davidson said.

The Warhorses' comeback came after Grant scored 30 unanswered points of its own during a nine-minute stretch spanning the second and third quarters.

As well as Davidson played under center for Peabody, Cougar junior quarterback Jackson Hedrick countered him with five touchdowns of his own - three rushing.

Grant (4-4, 0-3) also had help from Kenderrick Brew, who scored twice and opened the second half with a 74-yard touchdown run.

However, after Hedrick’s touchdown run with 5:39 left, Peabody’s defense clamped down and did not allow a point for the final 17-and-a-half minutes.

“I’m still processing it,” Grant coach Dillon Barrett said. “On numerous occasions (we gave up penalties), especially in critical points of the game and we can’t have that happen. That gets you beat and it got us beat (Friday).”

With five minutes left in the fourth, Warhorse defensive back Ethan Allen came up big with an interception to set up the go-ahead drive and Davidson’s final touchdown.

“Our defense had been doing its job throughout the whole game,” Allen said. “We had stops through the whole game, including the second half. This is what we do with Peabody football.”

Peabody returns home in Week 9 as it hosts Tioga in another key District 2-4A game. The Cougars have a bye in Week 9, but will face the same Tioga squad in Week 10.