After winning the title of district champions over the Hazelwood East on Nov. 3 at home with a score of 48-0, the Pirates advanced to compete against the Vianney Golden Griffins on their turf on Nov. 10 in the Sectional game.

Pattonville dropped the ball to Vianney in its season-opener by a score of 42-28, but the Pirates were taking a shot at redemption with this playoff game, and that’s exactly what they got.

Pattonville was undefeated at home during the regular season and been performing much better on their own soil than at away games. The Pirates were 1-3 on away games, with the lone win coming in the shutout victory against Rockwood Summit this season.

With many believing that the Pirates would keep that track record, they were the underdogs going into this game according to a Twitter poll conducted by St. Louis High School Sports.

They ended up stunning their opponents this time around, making the game very neck-and-neck. The Pirate athletes had multiple shining moments, with running back David Ellison Jr. leading in touchdowns.

With merely a minute left in the game, both teams were tied at 27-27, causing those in the stands to believe that they would go into overtime.

However, the fourth-quarter closer came courtesy of linebacker Dakari Streeter’s 97-yard touchdown, secured by wide receiver Derrick Boyce’s block downfield. This resulted in another Pirates victory, with a score of 34-27 against the Golden Griffins.

They will face Fort Zumwalt North at Pattonville on Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. in the semifinals.