William Blount

Bearden routs Lady Govs 68-28 in District 4 semifinal

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – William Blount hung with Bearden for the first two minutes in Friday’s Class 4A District 4 semifinal, but the Lady Bulldogs enforced their will in the first quarter, turning a 5-5 tie into a 21-5 lead and the rest was history, as Bearden advanced to the district championship game on Monday night. “It’s just of those things where I felt like we had some clean looks and had some good looks and they don’t go down and they’re off to the races,” William Blount coach Jason Kallenberg said. “I told the kids at halftime — …

William Blount’s playoff hopes dashed with 48-21 loss to Dobyns-Bennett

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – William Blount saw its playoff hopes fade on Friday night, as Dobyns-Bennett came to Maryville and handed the Governors a 48-21 defeat. The Indians outgained William Blount 571-253 in total yards. “Losing is contagious and winning is contagious,” William Blount head coach Philip Shadowens said. “It’s a confidence thing and right now, we don’t have the mental attitude to keep fighting when things go bad.” Both teams remained scoreless for the majority of the first quarter, but Dobyns-Bennett would take a 7-0 lead on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jack Carson to Ben Phillips, capping …

Governors come up short against West Ridge 28-21

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – William Blount fell to 1-6 on the season after West Ridge came in and took a 28-21 win from the Governors. “There’s no shortcuts and no easy ways to success,” William Blount head coach Philip Shadowens said after the loss. “We’re not a team that can afford to have 100 yards in penalties, but I thought our kids fought their butts off, and they’re always going to do that.” Willian Blount took an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Matthew Clemmer went into the end zone for a score with 7:15 left in the first quarter. …

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 …

William Blount picks up first win of season against rival Heritage

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – Heritage and William Blount met on Friday night in a battle of winless cross-town rivals. The Governors came out strong and took an early 21-0 lead and rode that to a 38-19 win. William Blount scored on its opening drive, as quarterback Matthew Clemmer hit Ashton Aucker for a 58-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the first quarter. The Governors would force Heritage into a three-and-out and scored immediately when Clemmer found Brandon Keeble for a 14-0 lead with 8:58 left in the first. Not everything went well for William …

Jefferson County edges William Blount 17-14

BY BRIAN HAMILTON DANDRIDGE – In a battle between Class 6A Region 1 foes, Jefferson County upended William Blount by a score of 17-14. The Patriots got on the board first, driving 48 yards in four plays, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Izaiah Hall to Taylor Stoltz for a 7-0 lead with 9:03 remaining in the first quarter. William Blount’s Eli Walker fumbled on the Governors’ first possession, which Jefferson County turned into six, as Omarion Mills ran for a 2-yard touchdown, putting the Patriots in front 14-0 with 7:47 left in the first. The Governors responded on …

William Blount gets thrashed by Karns 40-7

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – William Blount began the first game of a 4-game road trip on Friday night with a 40-7 loss to Karns. Karns’ DeSean Bishop had a field day against the Governors, rushing for 354 yards and four touchdowns, while adding a receiving touchdown as well. The Beavers ran for 560 yards total on the night. The Governors scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Clemmer to Job Matossian to take a first quarter lead. William Blount led 7-6 early on, but as mistakes mounted, the Governors found themselves in a 19-7 hole at halftime. William …

William Blount falls to Clinton 41-23 in opener

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – The William Blount Governors and Clinton Dragons met for the first time since 1997 on Friday night, a game that Clinton won 28-7. The Dragons would win Friday’s game as well, handing William Blount a 41-23 loss in their opener. Clinton took the opening kick and marched 80 yards to pay dirt, as Ereese King took the ball into the end zone for a 7-0 lead. The drive took almost seven minutes off the clock. The Governors then went three-and-out on their first drive and were forced to punt. On the next Dragons possession, quarterback …