Alcoa shuts out Class 6A Cookeville 38-0

BY BRIAN HAMILTON ALCOA – The Class 3A Tornadoes shut out Class 6A Cookeville 38-0 on Friday to improve their record to 6-1 on the season behind a strong night from quarterback Caden Buckles and a stout defense. Alcoa had to resort to Buckles’ arm for most of the night, as the Cavalier defense held the Tornadoes to just 64 yards on 15 carries. “We certainly didn’t have our way with them up front,” Alcoa head coach Gary Rankin said. “We ran the ball better in the second half, but they were pretty tough up there.” Itty Salter ran for …

Maryville makes quick work of Cleveland 42-7

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – Maryville defeated Region 2 foe Cleveland 42-7, as the Rebels executed well in all three phases of the game — offense, defense, and special teams. Maryville enters its bye week on a high-note and look to continue that heading into the Class 6A playoffs. “I think Cleveland is a good football team, but we just executed well,” Maryville head coach Derek Hunt said. “In the first half, we just had our way. Defensively, we were really strong and had a lot of guys making plays. It didn’t take the Rebels long to get on the …

Heritage remains winless after 56-6 loss to West

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MARYVILLE – Heritage faced a tough task on Friday night, as Knox West came to town. The Mountaineers faced the task of getting their first win of the season against a team that could very well still be undefeated, and a team who was chomping at the bit to get back on the field after a heartbreaking Thursday Night Rivals loss to Alcoa in double-overtime. The result was not in favor of Heritage, however, as the Rebels came in and handed the Mountaineers a 56-6 loss. “Teams like West have enough skill players to make you really …

Carter-Anderson

Carter falls to Anderson County 48-14 on Thursday Night Rivals

BY BRIAN HAMILTON CLINTON – Carter fell behind early and fast on Thursday night, as the Mavericks raced to a 35-0 halftime lead and took sole possession of first place in the region with a 48-14 win. Anderson County jumped on Carter early by intercepting a tipped pass by Chandler Wilson and returning it 55 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. Eli Davis intercepted another Wilson pass later in the first quarter and the Mavericks turned the Hornets’ miscue into seven points and a 14-0 lead. An Anderson County strip and fumble return …

Cloudland storms past Cosby 52-18

BY BRIAN HAMILTON ROAN MOUNTAIN – Cosby tied the game at 6-6 in the first quarter, but that is as close as the Eagles would get, as Cloudland jumped out to a 22-6 lead after one quarter and led 46-6 at halftime. The Highlanders would win comfortable by a score of 52-18 and keep a firm grip on first place in Class 1A Region 1. Seth Birchfield ran for a 16-yard touchdown to put Cloudland on the board 6-0 with 7:35 left in the first quarter. Cosby would tie the game at 6-6 in the first quarter on a long …

Gatlinburg-Pittman hoses Coosa Christian from Gadsden, Alabama on homecoming

BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – Coosa Christian made the five hour trek from Gadsden, Alabama to Gatlinburg on Friday and got sent back south with a 56-7 loss to the Highlanders on homecoming. Gatlinburg-Pittman jumped on the Conquerors early with touchdown runs by Levi Hill and freshman Teagan Avera, whose 41-yard score gave the Highlanders a 14-0 lead. Avera ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries, averaging over 20 yards per carry in the game. The Highlanders led 21-0 after the first quarter and went ahead 28-0 midway through the second quarter on a 43-yard touchdown …

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 …

Pigeon Forge blows out Scott 35-6

BY BRIAN HAMILTON PIGEON FORGE – Tigers head coach Scott Meadows picked up his 150th win at Pigeon Forge with a 35-6 win over Scott. “Our guys played hard tonight and played with a lot of emotion,” Meadows said. “We started off really well. The biggest thing is we held onto the ball.” A blocked punt, which was picked up and taken to the end zone by Noah Dyer, gave Pigeon Forge a 7-0 lead after one quarter of play. The Tigers would take a 28-0 lead to the locker room at halftime and a 35-0 lead after three quarters. …

Karns’ Bishop runs for 5 touchdowns as the Beavers defeat Carter 48-25

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Carter’s defense was thrashed by Karns’ star running back DeSean Bishop on Friday night, as the junior torched the Hornet defense for 352 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-25 win. Karns got on the board first when Bishop went into the end zone from two yards out, giving the Beavers a 7-0 lead with 8:46 left in the first quarter. Bishop would later run for a 35-yard touchdown with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter, giving Karns a 13-0 lead after the conversion failed. Carter answered in the ensuing drive, as Hornets’ quarterback Chandler …

Farragut hands South-Doyle second straight loss

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Farragut recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff and capitalized on the Cherokees’ miscue when Dawson Moore hit Trace Corum for a 6-yard touchdown, giving the Admirals a 7-0 lead with 9:03 remaining in the first quarter. Moore found Corum again for a 5-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the first period to give Farragut an early 14-0 advantage. South-Doyle quarterback Nick Martin tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to slice the Admirals’ lead in half at 14-7 with 2:05 left in the first. Both defenses held serve throughout the second quarter, as Farragut took a …