The Gore Pirates got a big district win last Friday night at K.G. Horn Stadium as they made the Liberty Tigers walk the plank as the Pirates prevailed 42-8 in a District AII-3 game.

The Pirates (5-3 overall, 3-2 in district play) scored twice in the opening period on a 19-yard touchdown run by Bladin McCartney and a 15yard TD run by Devon Mannon for a 14-0 lead after the first 12 minutes. A scoreless second quarter kept the game at that score at the half.

The Pirates scored twice in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Mannon and a 1-yard TD plunge by Ayden Cox as Gore’s lead extended to 30-8 after three periods.

McCartney got his touchdown hat trick by game’s end as he scored two TDs in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard and a 7-yard touchdown run. For the game, Mc-Cartney rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns, while Mannon rushed for 147 yards and two TDs. Cox had 29 yards rushing and a touchdown.

While the offense shined, so, too, did the defense.

“Our defense played lights out,” Gore coach Brandon Ellis said. “We forced four turnovers.”

Mannon had two interceptions, Jagger Moore had an INT and McCartney and Weston Cunningham each had a forced fumble.

Now, the Pirates will visit their Sequoyah County rivals from the east side, the Central Tigers, at 7 p.m. this Friday at Central’s Tiger Stadium in a District AII3 showdown, with the winner all but clinching a Class A, Division II playoff berth.

“We needed that win (over Liberty),” Ellis said. “There’s big implications on this (Central) game.”