The South Knox Spartans brought plenty of fire to the Spartan pitch Tuesday night, powering past Pike Central 4-1 in a non-conference matchup. South Knox controlled the game for long stretches and steadily wore down the Chargers, with the first real chance to strike coming in the 14th minute when Tucker Mahan’s corner found Levi Loudermilk, whose header was somehow kept out by the Pike Central keeper. The Spartans wouldn’t have to wait much longer. In the 20th minute, Boone Foster slipped a pass to Loudermilk, who made no mistake, smashing an angled shot past the keeper and into the upper-left corner to give South Knox a 1-0 advantage. Loudermilk appeared to have doubled the lead with 8:57 left in the half when he pounced on a rebound and put it in the net. The goal, however, was waved off after the referee ruled the keeper had already gained possession of the ball. Rather than let the decision derail them, the Spartans simply answered again. Loudermilk fired in another shot that was saved, but the rebound fell perfectly to Kain Ellerman, who stepped into it and unleashed a banger that found the top-right corner for a 2-0 lead with 6:42 remaining in the first half. Less than 30 seconds later, Mahan collected the ball outside the box and launched a left-footed laser that sailed into the right side of the net, giving the Spartans a commanding 3-0 lead heading into halftime. The Chargers managed to break through early in the second half, using a through ball to cut the deficit to 3-1 with 35 minutes remaining, but any thoughts of a Pike Central comeback were quickly extinguished. Mahan was brought down in the box by the Chargers' keeper in the 50th minute, earning South Knox a penalty kick. Loudermilk stepped up to the spot and calmly converted, restoring the Spartans' three-goal advantage at 4-1. South Knox continued to create chances the rest of the way. Blake Sutton nearly added a goal with a left-footed rocket that sailed just wide of the post, while Loudermilk later threaded the needle to Mahan for a shot that was well saved. Ellerman also came close to doubling his tally, forcing the keeper to tip his attempt over the bar. Shot-stopper Mac Harmon made four saves in goal as the Spartans limited Pike Central's opportunities and closed out another convincing home victory. Perhaps just as valuable as the final score was the opportunity South Knox had to get its entire bench on the field for much of the second half. Coach's comments: "We were really pleased with the way the guys came out and set the tone tonight. We created a lot of chances, finished some good opportunities and, defensively, we did a nice job for most of the night. We also wanted to get everybody some minutes in the second half, and those guys took advantage of the opportunity. Those are valuable minutes for them and valuable experience for us as we move forward." The Spartans move to 4-1-2 on the season (2-1 in Blue Chip) and hit the road Thursday for a 5 p.m. showdown with Shoals, looking to keep their momentum rolling against the Jug Rox.