[9/18/04]MAGNOLIA A golden opportunity to knock off a second Top 10 team slipped through Vicksburg’s fingers during a disastrous fourth quarter.

The Gators (2-2) turned the ball over twice including a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown in a 30-10 loss at the hands of No. 8 South Pike (4-0).

“The thing South Pike does is play 48 minutes,” Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said. “They don’t give up. They come after you, come after you, come after you. If something bad happens for them, they turn it around and make something good out of it.

“Everyone we’ve played so far this year has had a lapse. South Pike didn’t have a lapse.”

The final score is deceiving, however, because until the fourth quarter the Gators were on the verge of another upset. In the second week of the year, Vicksburg defeated then-No. 4 Brookhaven and had the Eagles on their heels.

Trailing 12-7 late in the third quarter, Vicksburg’s Marcus Harris returned a punt 51 yards to the South Pike 9-yard line. The Gators, though, managed minus-5 yards on three running plays and were forced to settle for a Cameron Curtis 31-yard field goal to pull VHS to within two points.

“We could have put in a punch right there and seen how (South PIke) reacted,” Stevens said of settling for the field goal instead of a go-ahead touchdown.

“Instead, their defense rose to the occasion. That’s what champions are made of.”

Two plays into the fourth quarter, Sam Reed ripped off a 61-yard touchdown run the longest run of the night for an 18-10 Eagles’ lead.

After holding Vicksburg on four plays, Derrick Ross blocked Curtis’ punt attempt, then scooped up the ball and ran 12 yards for another touchdown and a 24-10 lead.

“We didn’t play well in the first half at all. We were sloppy,” South Pike coach Randall Huffman said.

“We had some guys standing around. But we picked it up.”

With a two-touchdown cushion, Vicksburg took to the air, but Eugene Morgan was intercepted by Darrel Putnam on the Gators’ first play from scrimmage. The Eagles marched 29 yards in three minutes for the final score of the night, a 4-yard plunge by Reed.

“We made some early mistakes, but we were able to bounce back,” said Reed, who gained 79 of his game-high 101 yards in the second half. “Coach told us at halftime that Vicksburg was a good team and we couldn’t let it slip away.”