FAIRHOPE, Ala. – The Foley Lions and quarterback Darius Powell had 90 yards between them and a memorable comeback.

The Fairhope Pirates had just over four minutes between them and a narrow victory.

In the end, the Pirates held off the late-game surge by the Lions to hold on for a 28-23 win in the “Blue-Gold” rivalry game.

Foley made it 59 yards before Powell was shoved out of bounds at the Fairhope 31 yard line after only gaining three yards on a fourth-and-nine play with less than a minute remaining.

Fairhope got ahead early in the game after a big kick return by Ben Reynolds to the six-yard line and scored a touchdown four plays later on wide receiver Nate Andrews’ one yard run.

On the ensuing kick return, Foley’s D’marsjae Casey fumbled and gave the Pirates the ball at the Lions’ 16-yard line. One play later, halfback Tanner Martin scampered into the end zone.

“You can’t put yourself in that type of hole to start the game,” Foley Head Coach Todd Watson said after the game. “You can’t turn the ball over like we did and expect to win.”

Foley trailed 21-7 at halftime and 28-7 after Fairhope took the opening drive of the second half 88 yards on 11 plays, ending with another one-yard touchdown run by Andrews.

However, Foley didn’t quit.

Kalif Koen ran in a six-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 28-14 heading into the fourth quarter, and Foley forced a high snap on a Fairhope punt that went into the end zone for a safety.

After Amilcar Blanquiset recovered a fumble by Pirates’ quarterback Chase Domino at the Fairhope 26-yard line, Powell hit Greg Logan on a six yard out pattern right at the goal line for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-23.

With 4:01 left in the game, Foley had the ball at their 10-yard line, but they couldn’t make it the entire 90 yards needed to take the lead.

Powell finished the game with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, along with 247 all-purpose yards to lead Foley’s offense.

Martin finished with two touchdown runs on 74 yards rushing, and Domino threw for over 150 yards to lead the Pirates. Andrews had two touchdown runs and a late-game pass deflection, playing safety in Foley’s final drive.

“We played him there earlier in the year,” Fairhope head coach David Faulkner said about the decision to put Andrews on defense at the end of the game. “We got in a situation where we wanted our best athletes on the field, and he’s certainly one of them.”

Foley had chances in the first half to keep up with Fairhope.

Late in the first quarter, Watson elected to punt on fourth and one from the Fairhope 41-yard line, already trailing 14-0.

“There was a lot of time left in the game,” Watson said. “We felt like we needed to force them to drive the length of the field.”

With the score 14-7 in the second quarter, Foley blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt by the Pirates and began driving down the field in an attempt to tie the game. However, on fourth and one from the Fairhope 31-yard line, Powell was stuffed by the Pirates’ defense and the Lions turned the ball over on downs.

Fairhope then went 69 yards to score on an 11-yard run by Martin that widened the gap at halftime.