Tanner Pettit (33) and Brevard are home for Friday’s football game against Pisgah.
Brevard has gone above and beyond many people’s expectations this football season.
Coach Craig Pritchett inherited a program in 2015 that was coming off only its second winless season in school history. Modest gains were made during last year’s 2-9 campaign, but now it’s clear the Blue Devils (8-2, 5-1) were planting the seeds for this season.
They have even restored some luster to one of Western North Carolina’s traditionally-best football rivalries.
Brevard is home Friday and looking for its first win over Pisgah (10-0, 6-0) since 2011. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Blue Devils senior Tanner Ellenberger (1,558 passing yards, 528 rushing yards) has been a part of 36 total touchdowns. Another Tanner, senior Tanner Pettit (820 yards, six touchdowns), is averaging 6.7 yards a carry.
Ari Williams has taken charge for the receiving corps with 34 receptions for 659 yards and 11 touchdowns. Others in the mix are Lane Pressley (19 receptions for 294 yards and six touchdowns), Jesse Lowery (16 receptions for 200 yards and five touchdowns) and Nick Cabe (14 receptions for 199 yards and four touchdowns).
Ethan Shook now has 122 tackles (or 12.2 per game) and a dozen tackles for a loss, the same figure for stops behind the line of scrimmage as Pettit (7.4). Kyle Williams (7.6), Estevian Benjamin (6.7) and Earon Wilkes (4.7) have been other big contributors.
Pisgah has already clinched a share of the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference championship, its first in the sport since 2010. Brevard is looking to grab a piece of its first conference football title since 2007.
Keeping with tradition, Brevard-Pisgah will be played on the final Friday night of the regular season. In the past, the winner got to go to the state playoffs while the loser stayed home.
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