BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – Oakland was able to hold off Maryville 24-14 to advance to its second consecutive state championship next Saturday. The Patriots used its vaunted running game to move the chains and chew up clock, handing Maryville its first home playoff loss since 1999, when the Rebels fell to Knox Central. The two teams met for the eighth straight time in the Class 6A semifinals, and it was only the first time since 2014 that the road team won in the series. Both teams came into this matchup undefeated in 2020 and Oakland walked away with a …
Sevier County boys, girls pick up win over West in season opener
BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEVIERVILLE – The Sevier County boys jumped out to an early lead over West on Tuesday night and cruised to a 74-60 win in the season opener. The Smoky Bears got on the board first, but Will Biven nailed a three to put West ahead 3-2. Sevier County missed multiple layups early in the game, but the Rebels were unable to take advantage due to two early charging calls. “It’s one thing to miss (layups), but you’ve got to get fouled,” Sevier County head coach Ken Wright said. “You can’t just be there and shoot three or …
Pigeon Forge hangs on for 21-20 win over West Greene
BY BRIAN HAMILTON PIGEON FORGE – Pigeon Forge built an early lead and was forced to hold on for a 21-20 win against West Greene to advance to the second round of the Class 3A playoffs. West Greene got on the board first when Ethan Turner returned a fumble 51 yards for a touchdown, giving the Buffaloes a 7-0 lead after one quarter. A 6-yard touchdown run by Brady Maples tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter, followed by a 13-yard Aiden Howard touchdown run, which put the Tigers ahead 14-7 at halftime. West Greene came out and …
Alcoa falls to Merrol Hyde 2-0 in Class A title game
BY BRIAN HAMILTON CHATTANOOGA – Alcoa went into the Class A championship game on Saturday down several players, as the Lady Tornadoes were without starter Lila Miller and leading scorer Charlotte Tymon suffered a high hamstring pull in the semifinals against CSAS. Alcoa battled hard, but it was not enough to overcome the skill of Merrol Hyde (18-2-1), as the Lady Tornadoes fell 2-0 in the final. “We’ve played a couple down, but we just didn’t have depth,” Alcoa head coach Shane Corley said after the game. “We’ve tried to fill holes where we’ve had them and that’s what we’ve …
Alcoa girls soccer advances to state championship against Merrol Hyde
BY BRIAN HAMILTON CHATTANOOGA – Alcoa picked up a 1-0 win over the Chattanooga School of Arts and Sciences on Thursday evening — one day after mercy-ruling Crosstown 9-0 — to advance to the state championship game against Merrol Hyde on Saturday. The Lady Tornadoes scored in the seventh minute against CSAS when Wendy Beristain kicked in a free kick by Scout Lauderback to take an early 1-0 lead. While it looked as if Alcoa was headed toward another route after scoring so early, the final 73 minutes remained scoreless, as the Lady Tornadoes won 1-0. “I felt like we’d …