Friday Night Lights - Maryville vs. Alcoa

I know this was a Thursday night game, but I'm not going to change the name of the post. This is high school football and boy was it on display tonight. I had heard tales of having to get to the game hours before it started in order to get a seat so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I picked up my friend Stone, a Maryville alum, and we headed to the stadium around 5:30pm. On our way he explained some of the things that had happened in past games and just how bitter this rivalry was. I have never been to a high school game where the two schools just absolutely despise one another so I was a bit nervous to be a neutral fan, worrying that if I cheered for a good play, no matter who made it, would I immediately be exiled. 


We ended up being able to sit a few rows behind the Maryville student section, and 2 hours before kickoff the stands were already packed. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. The two student sections were throwing barbs across the field at one another. Every time an Alcoa supporter had to walk through the Maryville section they were met with a wall of insults and at times had water thrown on them. It reminded me a lot of The Swamp in Gainesville. After the teams stretched and the National Anthem was played, it was finally time for kickoff of one of the biggest rivalries in Tennessee High School Football

On the first drive of the game, Maryville's running back fumbled the ball. When an Alcoa player went to recover the fumble, somehow it was kicked further down field, and then before any of the other players could catch up to it, a referee went to pick up the ball not realizing that the 22 players on the field were still trying to chase it down. Luckily the player who fumbled was ruled down before he fumbled but still not a smart move on the part of the ref to try and pick it up. My roommate Andre', who met us at the game, also pointed out that Maryville has a player on their team whose name may or may not be Mufasa.

Mufasa or not, this was his program picture.

At halftime Andres' friend left to go get food. He came back with Sour Punch Straws and water. I told him that was the first time I had seen Sour Punch Straws since 6th grade, and Andre' followed that statement up with, "What made you buy those anyway?" His reply, "They were out of pizza." I am still baffled by this diet substitution. Anyway, Alcoa led at halftime 14-10, which was better than the 42-19 margin that Bearden had over Walker Valley in the last game I had attended. 

The second half started slow but heated up towards the end of the third quarter after a roughing the kicker call on a 40+ yard FG attempt that was shanked something fierce. The penalty I agree with, what happened after the flag was thrown . . . not so much. A Maryville player overcome with joy after finding out the drive would continue, threw up his hand to give the head referee, who also happened to be the one to throw the flag, a high five. This action is fine, but what is not fine is said referee actually giving it to him. The penalty allowed The Rebels to continue the drive that led to a Maryville touchdown. 

Alcoa answered back quickly though with Alcoa running back Vanderbilt Hambrick breaking a huge run for an Alcoa score. This gave the Tornadoes a 21-17 lead. While we were talking about how fast Hambrick was, as well as how he easily had the best name out of anyone on the field, Maryville receiver Clarence Langley caught a pass on a post route and took it to the house to put the Rebels back on top 24-21.

The scoring seemingly didn't stop from that point on. Alcoa's Vanderbilt Hambrick took a sweep play to the outside for about 9 yds before cutting it back up field, breaking about 6 tackles and juking everyone and their mothers out of their shoes, including Stian Romberg, who was definitely the goat for the Rebels tonight. Romberg dropped numerous passes including one that would have been a touchdown early in the 1st quarter. The Rebels and Tornadoes traded scores a few more times but after Darrell Warren scored from two yards out for Alcoa, and the Tornado defense held on 4th and long, all Alcoa had to do was run out the clock and leave Maryville with the 35-31 victory, handing Maryville their first home loss since 2000.

Maryville sulks on one end of the field while to Alcoa go the spoils on the other.

I won't be able to go to a game this Friday, but next Thursday I am planning on getting out to Powell High School for the Powell vs. Halls game and next Friday I am looking forward to watching my alma mater play for the first time this year as they take on the Mavericks of Anderson County. It's going to be really hard to top the game I just watched though. However it will also be really hard to be as bad as the Bearden vs. Walker Valley game. I guess I'll have to wait a week to see what each game brings.