Friday, December 3, 2010

Friday Night Lights - 3A State Championship - Goodpasture Christian School vs. Alcoa

I had never been to a state championship game so I was pretty excited to travel to Cookeville and watch Alcoa go for number 7 in a row against Goodpasture. We got to Tucker Stadium on the campus of Tennessee Tech University just after South Pittsburg had beaten Jo Byrns for the 1A state title and now arguable the best team in the state was about to play Goodpasture. I knew the Tornadoes had this one in the bag as soon as Goodpasture bust through their sign like the Dallas high school did in Friday Night Lights. You don't do that playing a team that has won 42 straight games.

Goodpasture quarterback Keenan Reynolds got my hopes up that this might actually be a game when he broke free on a 35 yard run, being taken down at the Alcoa 15 yard line. On 4th and 5 however, the Cougars proved they didn't trust their kicker by going for it. Alcoa's defense held however and Vanderbilt Hambrick broke free on a 65 yard run only to be taken down by a shoe string tackle at the Goodpasture one yard line. Darrell Warren punched it in on the next play to put Alcoa up 7-0.

The second trailing defensive player is the one to have the touchdown saving tackle. Impressive I know.

Goodpasture answered the Alcoa score by going three and out and handing the ball back to Alcoa which needed only one play to score again. Austin Tallant hooked up with Steven Isom on a 49 yard bomb that gave Alcoa a 14-0 lead. Goodpasture's bad fortune continued when a fumble was recovered by Alcoa and returned to the Cougar 17 yard line. After a converted 4th down, Darrell Warren got his second touchdown of the quarter and Alcoa increased the lead to 21-0. Goodpasture looked as though they had gotten things rolling when Keenan Reynolds hit Robert Walls on a 50 yard pass but the play was called back for an illegal shift. The Cougars proceeded to go three and out and once again gave Alcoa the ball.

Alcoa put a drive together consisting mostly of Hambrick and Warren runs, eventually turning to Warren for a 19 yard scamper and his third touchdown of the game to make it a 28-0 game. Keenan Reynolds took the Cougars down the field in a hurry on the ensuing possession and eventually gave Goodpasture its first score of the game on a 4 yard quarterback keeper closing the gap to 28-7. Any momentum gained on that score was lost on the kickoff when Steven Isom returned the ball 60 yards to the Cougar 30. After Hambrick had a 24 yard touchdown run called back for a block in the back penalty, Tallant found Isom again for a 29 yard touchdown pass to make the halftime score 35-7. A song played by the Alcoa band during their halftime show summed up what Goodpasture was going through when they played the Bed Intruder song by one Antoine Dodson.

Hide ya kids, hide ya wife, and hide ya husbands, cuz they destroying ery body out hur!

Alcoa opened the second half with a scoring drive that lasted four minutes and was capped off by a 2 yard touchdown run from Taharin Tyson. The 42-7 score meant that the mercy rule would be enforced so long as the margin stayed at 35 points or more. With the continuously running clock the second half was on its way to lasting exactly 30 minutes. That is until Keenan Reynolds found John Thomas Lynn wide open over the middle for an 87 yard touchdown pass making it 42-14 Tornadoes and ending the mercy rule. A 40 yard kickoff return by LaJuan Warfield, who as a side note has probably the best name on the Alcoa roster, put the Tornadoes in a great position to get the clock running again. That is just what they did after Tallant again hooked up with Isom for a 45 yard touchdown pass, giving Isom three receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and Alcoa a 49-14 lead. At this point Goodpasture took on the roll of Rocky. . . JUST FINISH!

He went the distance you fools!

Any chance of Goodpasture stopping the running clock went out the window when Reynolds was intercepted by Tallant and Darrell Warren scored his 4th touchdown of the game from seven yards out. The Cougars could not keep the ball and Alcoa was able to run out the clock, winning their 7th straight state championship and their 43rd game in a row. Darrell Warren, with 11 carries for 83 yards and 4 touchdowns, was named offensive MVP and JeRod Crenshaw won defensive MVP honors. It has been quiet the adventure this year, traveling to see talented kids from all over east Tennessee play. Whether it was Maryville vs. Alcoa or Campbell County vs. Halls, each game had its high points and I had a ton of fun watching the game of football at its purest form. I was able to see at least two state champions play in Webb and now Alcoa and all indications point to Maryville being the third. I got to watch at least two former Tennessee Vols on the field in Devrin Young and Kyler Kerbyson. In the end only 8 schools can claim that they were the best, and Alcoa did just that in Cookeville.

Alcoa Tornadoes
2010 3A State Champions

Friday, November 26, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Playoff Semifinals - Maryville vs. Oak Ridge

Tonight's game had nothing except a trip to the state championship on the line. Oak Ridge had won every single playoff game they played up to this point on the road. Maryville was just the opposite, never having to leave their home field to play. I had a time conflict this week with the Tennessee men's basketball team playing in the NIT championship game against Villanova. The game started at 5pm so I thought I could watch the 1st half then make my way to Maryville High School. I was correct and got to the field just as the Maryville band began to play the National Anthem.

No reason at all that Steven Pearl should be lifting that trophy instead of Tobias Harris.

I decided to retire my press pass and pay the $8 admission for this one, making it the first game I've paid for since the week zero game between Bearden and Walker Valley. Once again this week I was not prepared for the weather. As soon as I started walking to the stadium I began to hope that Maryville would put this game away quickly so I could leave early. Maryville quickly dashed my hopes of that happening by fumbling the first play after the kick off. Oak Ridge recovered on the Maryville 17 yard line but could only manage a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Maryville made the most of their second possession when Rebel quarterback Patton Robinette took a QB scramble 77 yards to put the Maryville Rebels up 7-3. Oak Ridge went three and out and Robinette hit Preston Burnett after evading a couple of tacklers for a 65 yard touchdown pass on third and twelve. On the Wildcats following drive, cornerback Brandon Johns made it look like the route may be on for the Rebels when he intercepted Oak Ridge quarterback Bradley Zulliger and returned the ball to the Oak Ridge 13 yard line which led to a 2 yard score by Maryville running back Jacob West, ending the first quarter with the Rebels leading 21-3, and leaving me hopeful I may be able to leave at halftime.

Oak Ridge got things going in the 2nd quarter. After a lengthy drive, Wildcat quarterback Bradley Zulliger put Oak Ridge in the end zone for the first time after a QB sneak play from the 1 yard line. The Oak Ridge defense stepped things up as well as a punishing hit from two Oak Ridge defenders knocked the ball loose from Patton Robinette allowed the Wildcats to regain possession on their own 45 yard line. Bradley Zulliger again took matters into his own hands and scrambled 35 yards to pull Oak Ridge within one score at 21-17. It was at this moment I began to get a little nervous I would have to sit through the entire game in the cold.

I feel your pain buddy.

Maryville answered the Oak Ridge touchdown this time when Patton Robinette found Logan Winders all alone for a 48 yard touchdown pass pushing the Rebel lead to 28-17. On the ensuing drive the turnover bug struck the Wildcats again when Zulliger was intercepted by Baylee Delozier who took the interception 72 yards for a touchdown. It looked like Zulliger may have the angle on Delozier and would be able to tackle him around the Oak Ridge 20 yard line. Baylee however slowed down a bit and when Zulliger tried to do the same he slipped and fell giving Delozier nothing but green in front of him.

Oak Ridge had one last chance before the half ended to put up some points but could only manage a field goal. The try was however a pretty nice 42 yarder that banged through off the crossbar making the score 35-20 at half. In the second half the only drama occurred when it looked like the Maryville Rebels were about to score yet again but a fumble by Robinette gave the ball back to the Wildcats. Oak Ridge wasn't able to do anything except punt though and in the 4th quarter Maryville's Zach Sharp put the final points on the board with a 32 yard field goal making the final score of 38-20. Oak Ridge's magical run ended and Maryville earned another trip to the Blue Cross bowl for a chance at the state title. If all works out I will be in Cookeville on Friday to watch one if not two of the three games that will be played then. I look forward to ending this season by watching some of the best in the state lift the championship trophy.

Who knew Clark Griswald lived across the street from Maryville High School. It is in fact Christmas time in Tennessee though.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Playoff Quarterfinals - Alcoa vs. CAK

This was the game I was hoping to finish the regular season on, so you can imagine how hard I was rooting for both of these teams last week in the 3rd round games of the playoffs. I was also really excited to compare the atmosphere of an Alcoa game with that of a Maryville game. Both are huge Tennessee high school football powers and both look to be well on their way to another state championship this year. I was also a little nervous about using my press pass because of the small issues I have had at each of the Maryville games I have attended and also because I had exactly zero dollars in my wallet. Zenyatta pulled through again though, keeping me undefeated and running my money saved amount to $76. I had also remembered Alcoa doing some type of song during their warm ups at Maryville and wondered if it was just something for the Maryville game or something they did each week. Well I got my answer.

Don't know how much this actually helps, but 6 straight state titles speaks for itself I suppose.

Alcoa's defense was fired up from the opening whistle. On the first three plays alone, there was a sack, a stuffed run, and a near interception. With the temperature hanging in the low 40's I was hoping this would mean I would be able to leave early due to Alcoa racking up points at a blistering pace. CAK had to punt and the ball rolled to the 6 yard line before being downed. The bad field position caused the Tornadoes to punt and on the second play of their second drive, the Warrior's Quinn Epperly hooked up with Josh Smith for what seemed to be a 48 yard touchdown pass. However, an ineligible receiver down field penalty took those points off the board and CAK had to once again punt.

CAK's defense looked to be fired up as well. They wouldn't let Alcoa get anything going and after forcing the Tornadoes to punt, Josh Smith once again made a big play returning the punt 45 yards inside the Alcoa 5 yard line. This time a block in the back penalty on the Warriors was what negated the big run and once again CAK was their own worst enemy. The penalty was not as costly this time though, and Jordan Ritchie, under the coaching of former Vols kicker Jeff Hall, banged home a 19 yard field goal and gave CAK the lead to end the first ahead 3-0.

FTW

After beginning to establish a solid running game that gained the Tornadoes 4-6 yards a carry, Vanderbilt Hambrick broke free on a 63 yard touchdown run. Much like the previous two big plays for CAK, Alcoa's first big play was also brought back because of a block in the back penalty. The only difference this time was Alcoa ended up putting the points back on the board when Darrell Warren scored from 5 yards out to put Alcoa ahead 7-3. Alcoa forced another punt from CAK before the Tornado's Austin Tallant went for Steven Isom in the end zone, which would have put Alcoa ahead 14-3 before halftime. Charlie High made a great play on the ball however and intercepted the pass giving the Warriors the ball back with enough time to try and make something happen before half. CAK took a big shot down field and Quinn Epperly had a wide open Zach Mead streaking toward the end zone on a post pattern. The only problem was he dropped it. Alcoa led at halftime 7-3.

During the break, Alcoa recognized one of its most talented athletes by retiring his number 7 jersey. He was a four time state champion and seemingly held every record possible for Alcoa in football, as well as 2 state records in track and field. He now holds a large handful of offensive records for the University of Kentucky and is closing in on career marks for the Wildcats in only his third year on the field. As he was walking out to the 50 yard line to be honored, I must be honest, I was hoping he would step in a divot and severely sprain his ankle so he couldn't play next week, helping to add another honor to his resume, helping Kentucky snap a 25 game losing streak to the University of Tennessee.

Cobb probably never had to call out the Alcoa fans for not showing up to big games.

Alcoa received the ball to begin the second half and seemed to turn exclusively to Darrell Warren and Taharin Tyson on a drive that ate up close to 10 mins of the third quarter. A failed 4th down attempt gave the ball back to the Warriors but all they could do was punt. Alcoa's second drive of the half was much quicker after a 40 yard run from Vanderbilt Hambrick, and a few runs from Darrell Warren in which he impersonated a steam roller running over the safeties, set up a 16 yard touchdown run for Hambrick giving Alcoa a 14-3 lead. CAK was forced to punt on their ensuing drive and Alcoa began the 4th quarter with the ball and didn't give it back to CAK until there was only about 3 minutes left in the game. The Warriors threw four straight passes and each fell to the ground allowing Alcoa to just take a knee to finish the game, preserving the 14-3 win and assuring them a spot in the semifinals.

Meanwhile Maryville ended Devrin Young's high school career, beating the Bulldogs 52-20. Oak Ridge continued an impressive run in the post season, winning their 3rd straight road game against Riverdale after late TD gave them the 28-21 lead. This sets up another post season rematch next week where Oak Ridge will travel to Maryville, having to win their 4th straight road game in order to get to Cookeville. Hopefully Zenyatta has one more in her and can keep me undefeated on the year as I make my way back to Maryville to see who gets to play for the District 5A state championship.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Playoffs Round 2 - Webb vs. USJ

Tonight I decided to take in a game at Webb School of Knoxville where the Spartans and the Bruins of University School of Jackson met in a rematch of last year's state championship game. Webb was a number 1 seed while USJ was a number 2. I was immediately blown away by the facilities Webb had. By far they had the nicest press box I had seen all year, and the fencing around the field reminded me of what is around Tom Black Track at the University of Tennessee. After being in the stands for a little bit, I realized that the USJ parents really took their football serious as they all got up and walked over to the part in the gate that the Bruins would take the field in, and formed a tunnel that led all the way to the Bruin locker room.

My press pass, which I named Zenyatta last week, was put to the test at the gate. My name wasn't on the press list, and I was legitimately concerned I may have to pay. However, after close inspection, the man working the ticket table allowed me free entry. I don't know what this makes me on the year, but I know I am still undefeated and my total money saved is now $68.

Webb got the ball to start the game and after one play, I knew this game wouldn't take long to complete as the Spartans run the triple option. They didn't even attempt a pass until the 2nd quarter. After a long drive, Webb's Caleb Blance broke free for a 20 yard touchdown run. The extra point attempt was wide left, although I didn't know until the referees signaled because Webb is yet another school with the uprights on their goalposts being only about 3 feet tall.

Can someone look into how much it would cost to add about 8 more feet of PVC pipe to these uprights at Webb, Farragut, and Halls???

USJ couldn't get anything working for them. After Powers Spencer showed unbelievable effort to convert a first down, the Bruins had to punt. Webb took their second possession and scored another touchdown on a 42 yard scamper from Caleb Blance's brother Aaron. This time point after was good and the score was 13-0 Webb. USJ looked like they might be beginning to click after Jake Overbey hit Lee Mayhall for a 25 yard gain that had 15 yards added to the end of the play due to a late hit on Webb. A fumbled snap dashed those dreams when Jake Grayson recovered ending USJ's drive. The Bruins discovered how to play defense though and forced a punt. Overbey, who on Wednesday signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Ole Miss, scrambled on a play during the ensuing Bruin drive and showed only that he won't be stealing second base at anytime while in Oxford. Overbey also liked to hold on to the ball a little longer than he probably needed to which reminded me of another quarterback you may know.

Hey, at least he didn't go out there and throw it straight to the other team right?

Overbey hit Tillman Keller for 18 yards which set up a 4 yard QB draw which Overbey scored on making the score 13-7. Webb looked like they may score before the half ended after Caleb Blance took the kickoff back 50 yards but the Spartans were unable to do anything with great field position and that halftime score stood at 13-7. Just as the Bruins looked like they may take the lead on the opening drive of the 2nd half, Todd Kelly intercepted Overbey and Webb eventually scored on a 12 yard pass from Parker Wormsley to Aaron Blance. Webb couldn't convert the 2 point conversion so the score held at 19-7. Webb kept the pedal down after a USJ fumble and Caleb Blance had another 20 yard run for a touchdown pushing the Webb lead to 26-7 to end the third quarter.

USJ pulled within two scores when Overbey hit Chase Rushing on a post pattern for a 25 yard touchdown pass, pulling the Bruins to within 12 points at 26-14. The USJ fan sitting behind me didn't really understand the scoring in football, and was convinced that the Bruins were down 3 scores and should have gone for two instead of kicking the field goal for one after the touchdown

Just that simple.

Webb added two more scores to finish the game. The first was a 22 yard run from Aaron Blance and the second was a 72 yard scramble from Parker Wormsley which created the final score of 41-14. Webb dominated in every aspect of the game. Their defense was all over the field and the Spartan offensive front had their way with the Bruin defensive line. The Spartans move on to face #3 seed Evangelical Christian School for the right to play in the state championship game. If Webb plays at the level they did tonight, I have no doubt they will be in Cookeville in two weeks for the state championship.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Playoffs Round 1 - Catholic vs. Shelbyville

This Friday was the first round of the TSSAA playoffs and there are a number of schools from the greater Knoxville area that are involved. However, only two were teams playing at home in stadiums I hadn't made it to during the regular season. CAK is a #2 seed and played #7 Kingston while Catholic is a #4 and played #5 Shelbyville. I chose the Catholic game because based solely on seeding it should have been a decent game. Hopefully I'll be able to go to a game all the way up until the State Championship in Cookeville, but we will have to see how that plays out.

I knew the stakes would be higher tonight as far as the press pass goes. I would no longer be shorting a school from $6, but the state from $7, and The Man doesn't like to be shorted. I was a bit nervous as I approached the gate and after the two ticket takers pointed me to the pass gate by saying, "They have a list over there." my fears grew slightly more. I have saved a total of $54 by not paying throughout the season. Well make it $61. I showed the lady my fake pass and without hesitation she reached and gave me a real one making the fake pass a perfect 10-0.

I immediately named my pass Zenyatta.

Since I was at Catholic, I started comparing everything I saw to when I went to Notre Dame. I also thought of a lot of jokes that start with, "A priest walks into a bar. . ." but that is for another post. Right as the game was about to kickoff my dad and I discussed how incredibly empty the stands were. This could have been the last game for some of the kids on the Catholic team and there weren't even enough people in the stands to say "at least the parents came." It was amazing to me. I know that Catholic is a relatively smaller school, but with around 50 players on the team there should have been at least 100 adults there and I can't confidently say that there was. I can understand why the bagpipe player's parents didn't come, but if you child is a player, you have to be there no questions asked.

I don't think I could ever point at my son while he is dressed in a kilt carrying around bagpipes and happily say, "THAT'S MY SON!"

Catholic received to start the game, and took quite a bit a time off of the clock to start the 1st quarter. It became pretty evident really quick that Shelbyville was over matched. Catholic's Nolan Coulter broke what would have been a touchdown run, but after a gain of about 20 yards, the 30 yard line jumped up and tackled him. It took a great catch by Michael Bonfini to keep the Catholic drive going. Coulter eventually scored from 8 yards out to give the Irish a 7-0 lead and that's how the quarter ended. Shelbyville's defense was a little more than suspect on the drive, as they allowed 8 and 9 yards a play. It was freezing cold, so the fact that the Golden Eagles defense looked like Swiss cheese made me happy. I knew I was leaving early. The Catholic girls' soccer team was recognized at the end of the quarter for making it to the State semifinals. Play almost resumed while the girls were still on the 30 yard line. I was hoping it would with the play selection involving a deep fade.

Shelbyville's struggles continued on offense, where on their first drive of the 2nd quarter they went three and out and had to punt to Catholic. On the second play from scrimmage Mike Wegzyn hit a wide open Michael Bonfini for a 45 yard touchdown pass that put Catholic up 14-0. Shelbyville looked like it may get something going when Zach Hamler broke free on a run that covered 25 yards, but before being tackled, Hamler fumbled and Catholic recovered. The Irish drove down the field again and once more it was Nolan Coulter who put the points on the board for Catholic making it 21-0. Catholic got the ball back with just over a minute remaining and executed their Indy offense to perfection. Wegzyn put the cherry on top when he hit Vic Wharton on a beautiful post route in the end zone. The Irish took a 28-0 lead into halftime, with 21 points coming in just 12 minutes of play.

The Shelbyville medical staff, consisting of the man here in overalls and a fanny pack, may have been working double at halftime because The Golden Eagles were being run all over.

I stayed to see Shelbyville's first drive of the 2nd half and thought they might erase the goose egg after Hamler completed a pass for a gain of 36 yards. Once again though the Golden Eagles had to punt, and Catholic called off the dogs after Wegzyn scored on a QB keeper from 11 yards out to make the final of 35-0 Catholic. With this loss Shelbyville's season is over and Catholic moves on to face Columbia in the 2nd round of the playoffs next week with the game being played at Columbia. Maryville topped Science Hill and Farragut beat Sevier County to set up a rematch in the second round that will once again be played at Maryville. I wonder if they will have another parachuter bringing the game ball. I'll let you know next week as that is the game I plan on attending.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Bearden vs. Catholic

This week was the last week of the high school regular season. The game that I really wanted to attend was moved to Thursday night in Alcoa vs. CAK. So instead I went to a game featuring two teams with identical records at Bearden vs. Catholic. All the local stars were out for this one, including The Bear Jew. That's right, Knoxville's favorite sixth man was here to watch two future Tennessee football stars, and maybe his girlfriend cheer??? I'm not one to judge or anything, but this just seemed a little inappropriate.

What is about to happen at the end of this bat is more appropriate then what I saw tonight from The Bear Jew.

Moving onto the game, Catholic surprised me from the go by not kicking to Devrin Young. Apparently someone finally watched film. Both teams traded three and outs before Catholic had two big plays, a 15 yard run from Nolan Coulter followed by a 22 yard pass from Ryan Ridley to Zach Thomas, only to miss horribly on a field goal attempt. Bearden put together a nice drive and Devrin Young got the scoring going for the Bulldogs on a 1 yard run for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked however so Bearden's lead was only 6-0. Catholic couldn't answer and Bearden used a 45 yard pass from Kyle Riemer to Tyler Callaway to set up a 13 yard pass between the same two players to increase its lead to 13-0.

Even the bag pipe guy was ready to throw it in at this point.

After Catholic looked to be finally putting something together when Ryan Ridley hit Vic Wharton for a 34 yard gain, Ridley was intercepted on the next play by Stephon Stephens. Devrin Young didn't make Bulldog fans wait long, breaking free and going 88 yards for a touchdown, then scoring another touchdown from 3 yards out just as the half ended giving the Bulldogs a 27-0 halftime advantage. Everyone in the stadium realized this game was over, with a couple of the Catholic parents sitting behind us saying, "Well if this game keeps going like this, our boys may get in." This statement told me two things, that these guys had already thrown in the towel, and that their sons were scrubs.

I think we can all agree these kid's futures have a lot of this in them.

Catholic showed signs of life to start the half when Catholic quarterback Mike Wegzyn came off the bench and led the Irish on a scoring drive that was capped off by a 20 yard touchdown run by Trey Leake. Catholic was unable to capitalize on recovering the ensuing onside kick however and Bearden answered with a 5 yard touchdown run from Josh Haney to push the score to 33-7 Bearden after the extra point was once again blocked. Catholic scored a meaningless touchdown when Nolan Coulter scored from a yard out to make the final score 33-14. You could hear in the stands Friday night the math from supporters of both schools that goes into figuring out your playoff seed, if your in or out, and where or who you will be playing. That picture will be crystal clear by Monday, when we will know what the playoff bracket looks like. TSSAA football playoffs start next week and all roads lead to Cookeville.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Halls vs. Campbell County

There were three games this week that stuck out to me. West at Bearden, Anderson County at Hardin Valley, and 0-8 Campbell County at 0-8 Halls. After careful consideration, I chose the battle of the beatens. I felt this would be Campbell County's last shot at a victory this season with Oak Ridge on the horizon in the season finale, and believed they would capitalize and snatch the win.

I grabbed my undefeated press pass and headed to Halls. When I got there, I made my way to the pass gate and I kid you not, the guy working the gate asked me if I was a scout just because I had on an Auburn shirt. A scout. . . at a game featuring two teams that hadn't won a game yet this year. . . really? I made it through with zero opposition and went up to the press box to check in on the Cougar broadcasting network. Halls had brought in some Ruby Tuesdays to feed the people working in the booth. I took advantage of this, claimed a seat on press row, and made me a plate. Trust me, if you just act and believe you belong somewhere, 95% of the time no one will ask any questions and you can get away with just about anything. After feasting like a king I returned to the peasants in the bleachers and immediately noticed the short goalposts much like the ones at Farragut.

Soon enough these sorry excuses for goalposts are going to cost Halls or Farragut a game, if they haven't already.

Campbell County kicked off to start the game, and elected to go with the onside. I didn't really understand this decision but I guess thats why I am not a coach. Halls used a 24 yard pass from Josh Coffman to Donovan Henley to set up a three yard touchdown run from Logan Stansberry to put the Red Devils up 7-0. Halls pulled the onside kick trick too and had just as much luck with it. Campbell County went three and out with their initial drive however and the punt on forth down wasn't any better, covering only eight yards. Unbelievably, with some great defense and costly penalties, that eight yard punt was actually able to flip the field. The two teams exchanged the ball a few times before Campbell County was able to begin to put a drive together that looked like it might result in points, but a fumble quickly ended that. Halls fumbled inside its own 20 however and the Cougars capitalized with a 10 yard run from Wesley Cook to tie the game at seven. Halls went three and out and the Cougars took the ball down the field and scored again with a QB draw from Tuffy Shoupe to put Campbell County ahead 14-7 going into halftime.

At halftime my friend AE pointed out that the Halls coach was wearing shorts. It is one thing to wear shorts in September, like the Campbell County staff did at Anderson County, but to wear shorts in late October, when the temperature is below 40 degrees, well thats another thing all together. At some point you just look like the guy that hangs around the high school fields wishing you were a teenager again because you know you would have taken your team to state if you had just been given the opportunity.

I guess it could have been worse.

Halls began a drive inside their own one yard line after a surprisingly good punt from Campbell County in the third quarter. The only problem was that on 2nd down, they fumbled giving the Cougars the ball only inches from the goal line. Shoupe scored again on a QB sneak and Campbell County gained a 21-7 advantage. Halls climbed back into the game late in the third quarter after a lengthy drive that was capped by a touchdown run from Josh Coffman. Campbell County blocked the extra point however so Halls was only able to pull to 21-13. During the 4th quarter, neither team could make anything happen. The Campbell County defense ended all chances of a comeback with a big forth down stop around midfield, and the Cougar offense was able to ice the game with a couple of first downs.

The Cougars picked up their first win of the season to put them at 1-8 on the year and the Red Devils fell to 0-9. After the game the Campbell County locker room was full of kids that were elated to finally see the fruits of their labors. You could tell these kids had really banded together and fought through adversity. Even though the losses had piled up, and with only two games left on the schedule they had the opportunity to fold and just go through the motions, they didn't and were rewarded for that tonight with the school's first victory of the season and first win ever over Halls.


These kids deserved this one.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Maryville vs. Farragut

It took me til the 2nd to last week of the regular season to do it, but I finally went to the same stadium twice to watch a game. This week Farragut was traveling to Maryville to try and hand the Rebels their first district loss in who knows how long. Coming off the huge win the previous week against Bearden, I thought maybe the Admirals would travel well and would have the possibility to pull off the upset. Alcoa's ground game had given the Rebels trouble in week 1 and Farragut ran a similar attack. This was the closest I believe I have come to getting caught with the press pass. I talked my way through the crisis though and was able to get in once again for free. May want to avoid Maryville for the rest of the year though. Anyway, before the game started though, we needed a game ball. At the moment however, the game ball was about 2,000 ft above head.

I have only seen a person parachute into a stadium once. That was in Sanford Stadium a few years back when Tennessee played Georgia. There were about 90,000 people in the stands, it was a primetime ESPN game, and both teams were ranked. That was the only time I had ever seen it happen, until tonight. There were about 88,000 less people and ESPN was nowhere to be found, but a member of the 101st Airborne Division Parachute Demonstration Team air dropped into the stadium carrying the game ball with the stars and bars in tow.

Right when I think I've seen it all with the streaker, some guy jumps out of a perfectly good airplane and I am surprised once again.

Now that the game ball had arrived, Farragut could kick off to Maryville. The return man for Maryville though fumbled the ball and allowed Farragut to recover, giving the Admirals the ball on the Rebel 20 yard line. The Admirals could only muster a field goal however and gave the ball back the Maryville up 3-0. This time the Rebels were able to first catch the kickoff then use a big play to score. Maryville quarterback Patton Robinette hooked up with Preston Burnette for a 55 yard touchdown pass. Farragut went three and out on their ensuing drive, and Maryville was able to gain another three points on the leg of Zach Sharp.

Just when it appeared that Maryville may have found its groove, Farragut began to move the ball. Eating up a lot clock, Farragut was able to score on a QB scramble from Cody Rule. Maryville got the ball back with plenty of time to run a two minute drill and possibly score just before halftime, but an inspired Farragut defense forced a punt. On the second play of the Farragut drive, Nathan Miranda of Maryville simply plucked the ball from the hands of Cody Rule and went 15 yards before being taken down at the Farragut 27. On the first play Maryville had from here on offense, Patton Robinette fumbled the snap and Farragut recovered. The half ended with the score tied at 10.

After Farragut went three and out to start the third quarter, Preston Burnette proved the touchdown he had earlier in the night wasn't all that he wanted to do. He caught the punt, went right, cut back left, and had a wall of blockers down the sideline. After cutting only once around the Farragut 5 yard line, Burnette scored. He had effectively taken a punt to the house from 66 yards away. I'm always glad to see special teams touchdowns because sometimes I forget what they are like, since Tennessee never has any.

Late in the third quarter Farragut QB Cody Rule took a nasty hit from Maryville safety Stian Romberg. Later it was announced that Rule had a possible ACL tear. This is bad news for Farragut who just last week lost Robbie Leonard for the remainder of the season due to multiple fractures in his leg. Farragut players are dropping like flies with leg injuries. Maryville put the game away with a short touchdown run from Jacob West to go up 24-10. Farragut scored late but never threatened to tie and with the 24-17 win, Maryville locked up the district championship.

Maryville could be headed to their 8th state title in 11 years. Maybe one day CCHS will have that trophy. . . or not.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Farragut vs. Bearden

I was excited about this week's game because I was going to be able to see Devrin Young run against a legitimate defense and not Walker Valley, which was more like a clown show. My dad and one of my friends from back home, Troy, were able to make it out to this match up and as soon as we got to the stadium I left them in the dust to try and make it 7-0 on the fake press pass. Worked like a charm. I started thinking, if I carried myself like I belonged, I'm fairly confident that I could walk onto the field, grab a headset, and call plays with my press pass clipped to my side. This thing is gold.

It was pretty crowded when we arrived, but we were able to get pretty good seats on about the 35 yard line. I hadn't been in my seat more then 5 minutes before a woman sitting in front of me asked why I had a note pad. When I explained why, she suggested I cover the district volleyball games. Not a chance lady. Farragut's pregame entrance rivals that of Oak Ridge as the players walked through the stands, then down some steps. Actually I think I like the Admirals entrance better.

The way the fans reacted when seeing the players coming through the stands reminded me of the Vol Walk.

Bearden received to start the game and had two third down conversions on their opening drive but had to punt. Farragut used a 50 yard run on a QB keeper from Cody Rule to set up a 43 yard field goal from Jonathan King that gave the Admirals an early 3-0 lead. Farragut may have been able to score a touchdown on the drive but multiple penalties inside the red zone killed the drive. The field goal attempt made me realized just how short the uprights are on the goal posts at Farragut. It seems like it would be very advantageous to extend the uprights to a reasonable height.

It looks like they just painted two pencils white and stuck them on top of some PVC pipe.

It was time for the Devrin Young show to begin at this point. Young broke off runs of 31 and 25 yards, then on another run, Young absolutely demolished a Farragut linebacker. As I was laughing at this, Troy pointed out that his parents were sitting in front of us. This isn't the first time Young as caused me to laugh at a player whose parents were sitting directly in front of me. Reference the Bearden vs. Walker Valley post. A scramble by the Bearden QB, Kyle Riemer, ended the Bearden drive with a touchdown putting the Bulldogs ahead 7-3. My dad pointed out that with a name like Riemer, pronounced Ream-er, the headline possibilities are endless. It looked like Bearden may take control of the game after Stefon Stephens intercepted a pass from Cody Rule, however shortly there after, Riemer was intercepted by Taino Perez and we were back to square one. Cody Rule again used his legs and this time it was for an Admiral touchdown making it 10-3.

There were alot of Farragut students walking around the stadium in jorts and over hauls. My friend Troy brought up a great point. How can they make fun of Campbell Countians when they are wearing the same type of things. Again, high school students are high school students no matter where you go. Anyway, after Devrin Young broke off a nice 28 yard run, he missed a blocking assignment which allowed Brooks Harper to make a great hit on Jerron Brown as he tried to run up the middle. Bearden had to settle for a field goal which made the halftime score 10-10. At halftime, the Bearden band might as well have had Les Miles watching the clock. They went all out blitz and left the Farragut band only 92 seconds to fit in 5 songs. The Farragut band literally took formation on the field, stood there for about 8 seconds, then walked off the field.

The third quarter started with a great drive from Farragut. The Admirals were very methodical and were able to drive down and again have Cody Rule run the ball into the end zone. Bearden got the ball back trailing 17-10. After a first down, Farragut's outside linebacker, Robbie Leonard, went down with what appeared to be a broken leg. While the medical staff were tending to him, a streaker sprinted across the far end zone. You stay classy Farragut.

When play resumed, Devrin Young broke off a 40 yard run, then caught a seam pass that covered a little over 20 yards for a touchdown tying the game once again at 17. The more I am able to watch Young play, the happier I become that he is going to be in orange next year. This kid is amazing in space and I believe he will be able to do some special things at Tennessee. Cody Rule would not be out done by Young however. It seemed like he wanted to show just how athletic he was after every big play by Young. Rule came out on the ensuing Farragut drive and called his own number for 65 yards before being tackled at the Bearden 7.

Rule reminded me alot of this guy.

Farragut went to Taino Perez on a sweep for the score, putting the Admirals ahead 24-17. Bearden, predictably, turned to Devrin Young. He delivered and after a swing pass for a touchdown was negated by a penalty, Young went 23 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked however and the Bulldogs still trailed 24-23.

The Bearden defense held to start the forth quarter, and after an incredible escape maneuver from Riemer, Tyler Callaway reeled in a pass for a huge 3rd down conversion. Ultimately Bearden was just able to get a field goal putting them ahead 26-24. As the game began to tighten up at the end, the guy sitting in front of me became more involved. His emotions began to get the best of him, and his reactions to each play became more and more animated. I begin to worry he was going to hit me in the face. After Farragut fumbled and Bearden recovered inside the Bearden 20, I was afraid he was going to jump head first out of the stands. After Braden Urevick played incredible defense on a long third down pass, I wondered if anyone has ever jumped higher. After Farragut scored the go ahead touchdown on a seam route to Madison Brown, I wondered if this guy was the happiest person alive. When Farragut converted the 2 point conversion attempt to go up 32-26 and he hugged me, I wondered if he was gay and if I needed to move before things go out of hand.

Bearden was forced into their 2 minute offense and it was incredibly effective. I don't believe I have ever seen a high school team be so effective running a two minute offense. A critical 4th down conversion allowed the Bulldogs to keep playing, but two incomplete passes on 3rd and 4th and goal ended what turned out to be another great battle for west Knoxville. After Farragut had won 32-26, the two teams had shaken hands, and the students had stormed the field, which is surprisingly not rare in high school football apparently, the Farragut band took the field to perform.

The Admiral band was going to perform come hell or high water, and you know who couldn't have been happier about it? . . .

THIS GUY!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Friday Night Lights - West vs. William Blount

The game I wanted to go to this week was on Thursday at Bearden where the Bulldogs played Maryville. I have a small group bible study on Thursday nights so I had to miss this one. I get to watch Bearden play Farragut next week in a rivalry game that is one of the fiercest in Knoxville. This week however, I decided to travel about three minutes down the road from my apartment to West High School where the Rebels were taking on the William Blount Governors.

If Anderson County has the best looking away jerseys, then West has the best home. They were a mix of the new Indiana jerseys and Kentucky's shirt designs before the current model. I like to think I know quite a bit about jerseys and things of that nature, and so far these two schools know what's up.

These pants.

These shirts, minus the white filler between the silver piping running down the underarm.

The game started with William Blount getting the ball and on third down a pass to Jesse Crisp for a first down, Crisp fumbled before he was tackled and the West Rebels were in business on the Governor 31 yard line. During the West drive, which ended with a 52 yard field goal attempt that was wide right but would have been good from 65, the PA announcer said they had found some keys for a black Toyota. This was the third time in four weeks I have almost had a heart attack when the first words were black Toyota, only to be relieved with the last word was not Tacoma.

I have never seen as many penalties in a single game as were committed tonight. In the 1st quarter West and William Blount combined to commit seven. In the 2nd there were four, and three in the 3rd and 4th quarters. You can do the math to see how many total, but whatever the answer, it's way too many. A William Blount penalty wiped away a first down and forced a punt. After the Governor punter netted about an 8 yard punt, I got to thinking. I have seen maybe one punter all year that is just decent. All the other high school punters are TERRIBLE. Which makes me wonder how hard is actually is to become the #1 ranked punter in a recruiting class.

West missed a chance to score late in the 1st when Ivan Freeman fumbled on the one yard line. William Blount again went three and out again however, and this time a penalty one West on the punt return forced the Rebels to start on their own side of the 50 for the first time all night to start the 2nd quarter. The West drive ended when Coty Willocks picked off a pass. William Blount fumbled a handoff however, and this time West was able to capitalize. A swing pass to Freeman that went for 44 yards set up a 30 yard pass from Christian Francis to Antonio Stinson for a touchdown to put the rebels up 7-0. West got the ball back and as the Rebels tried to run the rest of the clock out at the end of the first half, William Blount called a timeout with about a second left. Only problem was West had already began running off the field. It was funny watching the team run back out and try to get lined up to run the last play of the half.

While West was running back out onto the field for the last play of the half, I was regretting my decision to wear flip flops as my toes were going numb.

Late in the third quarter West went for it on 4th and 3 from the William Blount 16 yard line. My mind went back to when West attempted a 52 yard field goal on 4th and one early in the 1st quarter. Why would you attempt that kick, but not go for the points now with what would be a 33 yard attempt? West didn't convert and William Blount was able to drive and eventually score on a Zach Witt scramble. The extra point was blocked however and West was able to stay on top 7-6. It didn't take long for West to extend their lead though. After the West offense went three and out, William Blount began to drive the ball again. West corner back Patrick Bardsley picked off a pass and would have returned it for six points, but a block in the back call took six points off the board. Ivan Freeman was able to score on a short run though and West was able to go up 14-6 with about four minutes remaining.

Just when it looked like William Blount was finished, Crisp connected with Hunter Saunders who was wide open on a post pattern. Saunders was tackled at the West 5 and with 21 seconds remaining, Greg Cook was able to put the Governors within two points of drawing even with West. All William Blount had to do was convert the 2 point conversion and play for overtime. Crisp called his own number on the 2 point conversion attempt and was stopped. The onside kick was recovered by West and the Rebels went into the victory formation to finish off the Governors 14-12. Finally, another great game, and I look for nothing less next week at Farragut when the Admirals take on Tennessee commit Devrin Young and the Bearden Bulldogs.

Biggest stop of the game . . . Not letting Crisp cross the goal line on the 2pt conversion.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Midseason Report

So it’s the halfway point of the high school football season and I thought this would be a good time to give a midseason report.  Over the course of six weeks I have had the opportunity to watch ten teams play. In my opinion, out of those ten teams, one is a state champion, three others are more than likely going to be competing for a state title, and another is going to be right in the thick of things come November. Without further ado, here are ten thoughts I have from the first half of the high school football season.

1.  Alcoa is GOOD. I mean really good. I will go ahead and say right now that the Tornados are going to win the state championship. On the year Alcoa has three shutouts, has only allowed a total of ten points outside of the 31 they gave up to Maryville, and has scored a total of 274 points over six games. The Alcoa running game is phenomenal and I believe anyone will be hard pressed to slow them down. There are a number of players on that squad that I believe whole heartedly will be playing on Saturdays.

2. Kyler Kerbyson does not impress me at all. I got to watch him play at Austin East and my friend Ford and I had the same thought about him. During that game, he looked sick. If he wasn’t up field not blocking anyone, then he was five yards deep in the backfield because he was beat off the ball. I understand that with the right coaching and a weight program at Tennessee he may turn out to be an All American in college, but right now, I question why Tennessee even offered him.

3. If you want to have fun watching a high school football game, go to Austin East. Yes it’s in a rough part of Knoxville but trust me, the chicken wings alone is reason enough to make your way out for at least one game. The band is amazing to watch, and there are some serious athletes on the field for Austin East. Coaching is suspect so it’s even more impressive that Austin East is able to do the things they do on the field.

4. Anderson County is the Hawaii of high school football. Remember how June Jones was throwing up 700 yards passing every single game with the quarterbacks that no one remembers because they don’t play in the pros? Yea, Anderson County is a lot like that. I would be surprised if one player from the Mavericks makes it onto a legitimate division 1 roster.

Yea, remember Colt Brennan. . . didn't think so.

5. Campbell County is Campbell County again. After a nice run that included a handful of playoff appearances from 2004-2008, the Cougars are 0-6 and have maybe one chance left on the schedule to get out of the funk. It is amazing to me that some die hard Cougar fans still think that a certain player is good enough to play college ball. Reality is he isn’t.

6. Devrin Young on the other hand is a beast.

7. The fans of Maryville High School are next level. It was amazing to me that people were nearly 2 miles away from the stadium before the Alcoa game tailgating. It reminded me a lot of a Tennessee game the way traffic was backed up 2 hours before kickoff, people tailgating everywhere, having to pay for parking in most places.

8. I hate high school students, although it is funny to watch some of the male students try to spit game at the girls.

9. I’m pretty good at making fake press passes. Since I have had mine, it has worked every single time. I keep wondering when someone is going to be able to scan the bar code I pulled from Google.com and slapped onto the pass. I actually am rooting for this to happen just to see what it says. Also, if you play your cards right, you can probably get away with showing them a Kroger card and the pass gate person would believe it was a press pass. I literally just cropped someone out of the picture I used. Their hand is still on my shoulder even. I laugh every time.

10. Hand prints are overly popular as an option for painting up. I can’t think of a game I have gone to this year where the students who were painted up for the game didn’t have a hand print on them. It got crazy when at Hardin Valley I saw a girl with a hand print on her eye. Who thought this was a good idea or that it looked cool?

OK other than Mike Tyson, who thought this was a good idea?

Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Oak Ridge vs. Maryville

I met Stone this week along with a couple of his friends and we headed out towards Oak Ridge for the Oak Ridge vs. Maryville game. I must admit, this was one of those games that I was looking forward to more for the atmosphere as opposed to the game. Oak Ridge is arguably one of the best high school football programs in the entire state of Tennessee. So much history with the Wildcats and I was looking forward to experiencing some of that. When we got to Blankenship Field I immediately wondered if my press pass would work. It did making it 4-0 for working. I am becoming more impressed with my handy work with each passing week.

I made my way over to the Walk of Champions and just took in the fact that there have been countless players walk down this sidewalk who have gone on to play college ball, and even some who have made it to play on Sunday. A-Bombs and Football, THAT’S WHAT OAK RIDGE DOES! I was also a little excited to see the Wildcat Crossing. I’ve seen a lot of player entrances into the stadium this year, but none were as cool as the Oak Ridge Wildcats walking down the steps with the train horn blaring, the Wildcat Crossing sign flashing, and the players throwing out high fives as they made their way to the field.

Has a player ever slipped walking down the stairs due to his cleats and fell all the way down to the field?

Maryville received the ball to start the game and for a moment looked like they would own the game as expected, but after a Wildcat defensive stop, Maryville was forced to punt. Oak Ridge fumbled a hand off however, giving Maryville the ball back. It didn’t take long for the Rebels to take advantage of the opportunity. A pass to Maryville wide out Stian Romberg, who earlier in the year dropped a sure TD pass in the 1st quarter of the Alcoa game, in the back of the end zone put the Rebels up 7-0. Two plays after receiving the kickoff Oak Ridge running back Rocky Fludd broke a fifty yard run, and then quarterback Bradley Zulliger hooked up with Ethan Wheeler for a touchdown to tie the game at 7 to end the 1st quarter.

A three and out forced Maryville punter Greg Colquitt to punt and punt he did. He pinned the Wildcats within their own ten yard line. Preston Burnett scored for Maryville after the Rebels defense shut down the Wildcat offense, which would become a theme during the course of the night, putting the Rebels up 14-7. Maryville DB Jay Yoakum intercepted an Oak Ridge pass and took it all the way down to the Oak Ridge seven. Just a few plays later Brandon Cooper punched it in, putting Maryville ahead 21-7. The Wildcats went three and out again giving Maryville the ball back with enough time for Jacob West to run straight up the middle for a short TD run after a Maryville drive of about 40 yards, giving Maryville the halftime lead at 28-7.

During halftime, I had the awesome opportunity to meet Mr. Criscillis, whose son Tyler is a student at Maryville Middle School. At first this doesn’t seem interesting at all but Tyler, who attends every single Maryville home game and most of the away games, is dealing with cerebral palsy. Talking with Tyler’s father was almost as inspiring as listening to Tyler’s story. When Tyler was being born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck causing him to be distressed for over 2 hours. Unfortunately the nurse just thought that the blip on the ultrasound monitor was a technical issue and nothing important. This 2 hour fight in the womb caused him to be born blue due to a lack of oxygen, as well as his condition. The doctors only gave Tyler six days to live but Tyler is now 15 years old. It’s amazing to see how his classmates and those around him interact with him and how his father knows how blessed he is to have Tyler. The Criscillis’s are also new parents again as they now have a perfectly healthy, incredibly strong, 14 month old baby boy.

Tyler Criscillis and I. Tyler is a straight up ladies man!

After the Oak Ridge offense was staggered once again by the Maryville defense the Rebels’ offense was back on the field. This time though, the Wildcat’s defense stepped up and Alex Ingham took an interception to the house. On the ensuing kickoff Elliott Normand laid what is by far the hardest hit I’ve seen all year on the Maryville returner. The Oak Ridge defense held again and with the score 28-14 Maryville, the Rebels had to punt again and the thoughts of this actually becoming a game began to run through my head. Maybe the Wildcats can make a drive and score, maybe Oak Ridge’s defense makes another stop, maybe they tie it up and we go into over, or maybe they can fumble, Maryville recover, and Preston Burnett could score for the second time tonight and put the game away. With about 6 minutes to go in the game and Oak Ridge hanging on to the slightest glimmer of hope inside the 5 yard line, Maryville did have to make a goal line stand, and then with about 3 minutes left Stian Romberg picked off a pass allowing Maryville to just run the clock out to put the win in the back. Maryville might have won 35 – 14 but the talent that was on the Oak Ridge side of the ball was evident. In a few years, the Wildcats will be back in their place atop Tennessee high school football where they belong, rest assured Wildcat fans. The Oak Ridge band does need to realize singing along to “Hey Baby” which is being played by the winning team’s band is not really the best of ideas.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Friday Night Lights - Powell vs. Anderson County

This Friday's game actually started at Hardin Valley Academy for Ford and me. My alma mater was playing the Hardin Valley Hawks and I had the opportunity to do a quick pregame interview on the radio with Josh Parker, The Voice of the Cougars. Our conversation could not have been any broader, but I enjoyed it. We were able to talk about things ranging from the article I write for TNVarsity.com to my work with One Vision International and my experience in Haiti. After we finished, Ford and I made our way to Powell High School where the Panthers were taking on the Mavericks.

Before I get into that game, I am going to clarify a previous post in which I made fun of Anderson County using a long horn as a Maverick, saying a Maverick was a horse. In fact, Merriam-Webster states that a maverick is, "1: an unbranded range animal; especially: a motherless calf. 2: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party." While I admit my fault on the horse statement, I will point out the second definition, an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party.

Part of the Herd??? Explain this.

We got to the stadium and were lucky to run into one of my Gator loving friends. He had two seats just in front of him so we sat there for the first half. The game was scoreless after the first quarter and learned that after just 4 mins of the Hardin Valley vs. Campbell County game, Hardin Valley was up 14-0. I was extremely glad we chose to leave. 

Powell ran a middle screen to start the 2nd quarter, going from their own 30 yd line to the Anderson county yard line. A few plays later, Powell's star running back Dy'shawn Mobley scored on a run from 2 yards out putting the Panthers up 6-0. After Anderson County went 3 and out, Powell handed the ball to Mobley again and he went for 28 yards. Powell quarterback Dustin McPhetridge took the ball in from 2 yards out to put the Panthers up 14-0 after a 2 point conversion. The Dy'shawn Mobley show continued on Powell's next possession as he took a handoff to the house from 38 yards out. Suddenly it was 20-0 Panthers, and the Campbell County gamed seemed a lot more appetizing after my Gator friend informed me it was now 14-14.

Powell scored again just before halftime to make it 26-0 and it was obvious the Anderson county offense had absolutely unraveled. It was obvious they had recovered during the halftime break though, as they took the opening drive of the 2nd half and scored. With the score now being 26-6 I was hoping the AC defense would be able to get some stands and make this a game.

The only touchdown pass AC had all night.

Powell continued to run away with the game, with Darian Logan scoring yet another rushing touchdown for the Panthers. Anderson County was able to counter that one with a rushing touchdown of their own with a sweep play. Powell did what they do best though with another touchdown run from Darian Logan. The Panthers converted on the 2 point conversion again, making it 42-14, which would be the final.

Two observations from the game tonight. Powell is extremely well coached and Anderson County has quite possibly the best away jerseys of any school I have seen thus far. Powell knew exactly what they wanted to do and was very organized in executing their game plan. My friend Ford pointed out that it was obvious the Panthers had a program in place to allow their players to succeed. They took advantage of the momentum gained from the first touchdown and never really let up. All AC had going for them in this game were their uniforms. Most of you by now are very familiar with the Nike Pro Combat uniforms. These are the type of uniforms that Anderson County had. I was simply amazed to see them on a high school field, and they looked sharp!


Looked just like this, except blue and silver instead of purple and gold.