Seymour holds off Heritage 27-12

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The Eagles were clinging to a 14-12 lead over winless Heritage early in the fourth quarter, when Brendon Harris went into the end zone for a score, giving Seymour a 21-12, en route to a 27-12 win in a game that was closer than expected. “I saw resolve and a lot of grit,” Seymour head coach Scott Branton said. “We came out and played pretty well in the opening, but we fell a little flat when we got that early lead. It came back to bite us a little bit.” The Eagles scored first when …

Sevier County shuts out Pigeon Forge in first ever meeting

BY BRIAN  HAMILTON SEVIERVILLE – Neighboring Class 5A Sevier County and Class 3A Pigeon Forge squared off for the first time in the schools’ history on Friday night and the Smoky Bears came away with a resounding 14-0 win. Sevier County had starting linebackers Garrett Hawkins and Stephen Cain back for the first time since the opener against Jefferson County and it helped, as the Smoky Bears used a stifling defense to hold the Tigers to just 112 total yards. All of Pigeon Forge’s yards were on the ground, as Sevier County held Tigers quarterback Tyson McFall to 0-of-6 passing …

Northview Academy shuts down Claiborne 35-0

BY BRIAN HAMILTON NEW TAZEWELL – Northview Academy traveled to New Tazewell on Friday night to take on Claiborne in a non-region contest. After getting blown out by Alcoa last week, the Cougars responded with a dominant 35-0 win over the Bulldogs. “Cruz-Mendoza had some good runs and we moved the ball around — it wasn’t just one guy,” Northview Academy head coach Heath Woods said. “We are looking forward to building off this.” Northview jumped out to a 22-0 halftime lead, en route to a 35-0 win. Cougars quarterback Alex Cruz-Mendoza ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns on …

Carter starts 1-0, opens with home win for first time since 2015

BY BRIAN HAMILTON STRAWBERRY PLAINS – Carter came from behind and stunned Webb 26-21 on Friday. The Hornets opened the season at 1-0 for the first time since a 46-34 win over Knoxville Halls in 2015. It was also the first time Carter has won a home opener since 2015. The Hornets trailed 7-0 after the first quarter and had three touchdowns called back in the period. Early in the second quarter, Webb would have a touchdown called back, before tossing an interception. Carter then proceeded to drive the ball all the way to the Webb 18-yard line, where it …