TKA defeats Friendship Christian for first time in history

BY BRIAN HAMILTON LEBANON – The King’s Academy was able to take down Friendship Christian 28-21 on Friday night, a team the Lions were 0-8 against all-time coming into the contest. “This is huge for us,” The King’s Academy head coach Jonathan Sellers said of the win. “Friendship Christian has been a great program for a long time and still is. They’re well coached and have great football players.” The King’s Academy drew first blood in the contest, as sophomore quarterback Elijah Williams-Smith scored on an 11-yard touchdown run, capping a 9-play, 50-yard drive. The Lions led 7-0 after the …

Austin-East snaps 15-game losing streak with win over Northview

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Northview Academy was coming off their first on-field win of the season — a 35-0 shutout of Claiborne — but laid an egg on Friday night, allowing Austin-East to pick up their first win in 15 games, on homecoming, with a 42-8 romp over the Cougars. The Roadrunners got on the board first with a 1-yard touchdown run by Markeyis Billingsley for a 7-0 lead. Austin-East was leading 21-0 when Alex Cruz-Mendoza dodged several Roadrunners and scooted 86 yards for the score. Cruz-Mendoza connected with William Kirby on the two-point conversion attempt, cutting the lead …

Shawn Gary stretches into the end zone for a second quarter touchdown, giving South-Doyle a 14-7 lead. Photo by Brian Hamilton

Anderson County hands Cherokees first loss

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Anderson County came into its matchup with South-Doyle with a record of 1-3 and upset undefeated South-Doyle 31-28. The Cherokees fumbled on a quarterback to running back exchange on the first drive, setting Anderson County up with great field position. However, two plays later, JaMichael Ham intercepted the Mavericks’ Walker Martinez for a pick six and a 7-0 lead with 8:26 left in the first quarter. Martinez would respond on Anderson County’s next possession, as he tossed a long touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:11 left in the first quarter. Shawn Gary …

William Blount

William Blount wraps up 4-game road trip with loss to Science Hill

BY BRIAN HAMILTON JOHNSON CITY – William Blount faced the task of going on the road for four consecutive weeks, a stretch in which the Governors went 1-3 and ended with a 55-27 loss to Science Hill. In a game where both teams amassed over 900 total yards, William Blount got down early and was never able to catch up. “We played against a team that was better than us and more athletic than us, but I still didn’t feel that we fought hard enough in the first half,” William Blount head coach Philip Shadowens said after the game. “We’re …

Jefferson County remains unbeaten in region after win over Morristown-East

BY BRIAN HAMILTON DANDRIDGE – Jefferson County was able to bounce back from a gut-wrenching loss to Halls to defeat Morristown-East and improve to 2-0 in Class 6A Region 1. The Patriots took an early 7-0 lead and rode that to halftime, as both teams’ defense were on display in the first half. Morristown-East would receive the second half kick and went the length of the field for a touchdown by Eli Seals. The point-after attempt was no good, however, as Jefferson County still led by a score of 7-6. The Patriots would respond immediately by scoring to take a …