Pinnacle didn't panic Friday.
Instead, the Pioneers used a first-half deficit to showcase their potent abilities with 42 unanswered points to roll over host Anthem Boulder Creek, 42-17.
"It was kind of a reverse role in each half," Pinnacle coach Dana Zupke said. "They came out and jumped on us in the first half and we got things going our way in the second half."
Pinnacle (8-0) didn't play like an elite Division I team early, as quarterback Jackson Harley threw two interceptions and Tyler Townsley fumbled a punt that helped Boulder Creek (5-3) build a 17-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first half.
"You get down a little bit and things are not going your way but our kids believe in each other," Zupke said.
That belief was personified when Josh Hoekstra took a kickoff right before halftime back to the 8 yard line and on the ensuing play Evan Tompkins took a sweep into the end zone as Pinnacle slashed the lead to 17-7 with 4:14 left in the half.
Boulder Creek tried to counter but Jacob Van Leeuwen missed a 27-yard field goal right before halftime.
Redemption was on the mind of Pinnacle in the second half.
Following a Boulder Creek three-and-out to start the third, Townsley made up for an earlier fumble as the sophomore returned a punt 75 yards for a score that seemed to shift all of the energy to the Pinnacle sideline.
"I was psyched when I got the blocks," Townsley said. "That score just turned around the game."
On the next drive, the Pinnacle defense stiffened again and forced Boulder Creek to punt .
This time Harley was making up for his first half miscues.
The Pioneer quarterback made like Houdini on a fourth-and-9 from the Boulder Creek 28 as twice he escaped the grasp of Jaguar lineman and tossed a pass to the end zone that Bryce Colceri was able to dive and hall in for a score to give Pinnacle its first lead, 21-17, with 6:05 remaining in the third.
"Our own mistakes killed us in the first half," Harley said. "At halftime we regrouped."
For his next act, Harley found a streaking Dylan Armstrong for a 49-yard TD catch as Pinnacle built a 28-17 lead with 2:03 left in the third.
Harley finished with 201 yards on 12-of-18 passing. He rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries.
The rout was on.
Pinnacle added two fourth quarter scores as Tompkins snaked his way in from 2 yards out and Hoekstra capped a clock-chewing drive with a 9-yard TD run.
The Pioneer defense also aided in the comeback as Jahmaine Watts had a second half interception.
"This is two weeks in a row we have had to come from behind to win," Zupke said. "It says a lot about the character of this group."
