Pelham quarterback Clayton Mains ran for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns and linebacker Bishop Rellah scored on his only offensive touch to lift the Class 6A ninth-ranked Panthers to a 24-21 victory over Class 7A Oak Mountain at Pelham’s Ned Bearden Stadium.

Both teams were forced to punt on their opening possessions but Pelham (2-0) forced a turnover on Oak Mountain’s second drive when Markell Bell intercepted a pass from Eagles quarterback Will O’Dell and returned it 29 yards to the 6-yard line. The Panthers went backward on their first play, but scored on a 13-yard run by Mains.

Oak Mountain drove deep into Panther territory on the following possession, eventually forced to punt, but tied the game on its next drive on a 3-yard scoring run by O’Dell.

The Panthers wasted no time in responding to the tying score as Mains got loose for a 76-yard touchdown run to give Pelham a 14-7 lead midway through the second frame.

Oak Mountain tied the game back up two drives later, capping a 7-play, 54-yard drive on a 1-yard run by Jacob Porco, and Mains was intercepted by the Eagles’ Woodrow Hackbarth before the end of the half.

Pelham quickly made its way across midfield to open the second half, but Jacob Gibbs fumbled at the tail end of a 4-yard reception. Both defenses dominated the next two drives and the Panthers took a 17-14 lead near the end of the third frame on a 38-yard field goal from Jake Garner.

Following the kick, the Eagles marched 80 yards in 10 plays, taking their only lead of the game on an 11-yard touchdown pass from O’Dell to Jackson Blackwell, and held a 21-17 advantage with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

Pelham saved its best drive for the final frame and scored the game-winning touchdown midway through the quarter. The 12-play, 88-yard drive featured Michael Grayson rushing for 52 yards and Rellah taking the right side for a 4-yard rushing touchdown and the 24-21 lead with 7:03 remaining.

Oak Mountain (1-1) punted on its next drive, but forced the Panthers to do the same – giving the Eagles one last opportunity at a game-winning drive with 59 seconds left in the game.

O’Dell threw three consecutive incompletions before breaking off a 14-yard run and Marty Myricks carried the Eagles into Pelham territory on a 27-yard run. O’Dell was forced to run on the final play and the ball passed through a few different Oak Mountain hands before being recovered by Pelham.

Star of the game: Mains. The senior quarterback finished 7-of-14 passing for 59 yards and an interception but ruled the roost with 15 rushing attempts for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s a testament to our practice and our work this week. It’s a testament to our O-line and the way they prepared this week. I’ll tell you one thing that never changes and it’s the intensity they bring every week. The way they carry themselves, play after play after play, they never stop. It’s the same intensity every play and we knew had to keep working and pounding the ball,” Mains said.

Stat sheet: Pelham – Grayson had 20 carries for 78 yards, followed by Kalib Porter with 12 yards on three carries. Gibbs led the receiving effort with four catches for 28 yards and Brock Isbell had two receptions for 26 yards. Oak Mountain – O’Dell was 19-for-32 passing for 134 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and added 82 yards and a score on 13 rushing attempts. Myricks amassed 105 total yards on 12 touches and Porco had four carries for 6 yards and a touchdown Blackwell had four receptions for 20 yards and a score and Sean Ray had four catches for 35 yards.

Coachspeak: “It’s great to have these games early. You get put in a lot of situations that will help us down the road. Proud of our kids for battling and 2-0 is better than 0-2. We’ll take that and go clean up some of our mistakes.” — Pelham’s Mike Vickery

He said it: “We had fantastic blocking across the board. You could feel the tension and you could feel the energy. It was a must-win moment and our offensive came together and we executed.” — Rellah on the game-winning touchdown

What’s next? Pelham travels to Briarwood Christian, while Oak Mountain returns home to host Hewitt-Trussville.