Gatlinburg-Pittman edges Chuckey-Doak 40-35

BY BRIAN HAMILTON AFTON – Gatlinburg-Pittman built an 28-0 lead early in the game and nearly watched the lead slip through its fingers, as the Highlanders hung on for a 40-35 win. Brady Hammonds found Carlos Orr for an early touchdown to put Gatlinburg-Pittman ahead 7-0 with 9:30 left in the first quarter. Orr then broke free for a 49-yard touchdown on the next drive, giving the Highlanders a 14-0 lead with 7:34 left in the first. Tom Hickman thwarted another possible Highlander scoring drive, as he intercepted Hammonds with 16 seconds left in the quarter. Gatlinburg-Pittman led 14-0 at …

Hammonds

Gatlinburg-Pittman trounces Northview Academy 48-6 behind 5 Hammonds TDs

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KODAK – Gatlinburg-Pittman started fast on Thursday night and took a 41-0 halftime lead, en route to a 48-6 win, keeping the Highlanders in position to finish second in Region 2. Gatlinburg-Pittman hadn’t played in three weeks, due to a bye week followed by a COVID forfeit by Hampton last week. “It helped that we got out to a big lead, but we haven’t played recently, so we’ve got to play,” Gatlinburg-Pittman head coach Brad Waggoner said. “We’ve just got to keep getting better. I was really pleased with the way we came out, but we gave …

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 …

Gatlinburg-Pittman pounds Union County 49-6

BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – Gatlinburg-Pittman had no trouble with Union County on Friday night, taking down the Patriots 49-6 to improve to 2-1 in region play. Gatlinburg rolled up 409 yards of total offense, averaging over 12 yards per play. “We have gotten better every single week,” Gatlinburg-Pittman head coach Brad Waggoner said. “I thought we took another step in the right direction this week.” The Highlanders scored two early touchdowns to go ahead 14-0 with 8:10 still remaining in the first quarter when quarterback Brady Hammonds tossed a touchdown to Whittman Whaley for the two score lead. Hammonds …

Gatlinburg-Pittman

Loudon defeats Gatlinburg-Pittman behind Karig’s 6 touchdown passes

BY BRIAN HAMILTON LOUDON – Gatlinburg-Pittman hung tough with Class 3A No.3-ranked Loudon for most of the game, trailing by just one score late in the third quarter, but ultimately mistakes would cost the Highlanders in a 43-22 loss on Thursday Night Rivals. “The defense played extremely well all night long,” Gatlinburg-Pittman head coach Brad Waggoner said. “We got it into the fourth quarter (almost) at 22-14 and we knew we couldn’t give up big plays at the end. They’ve got explosive players and we knew that coming in.” Gatlinburg-Pittman took an early 7-0 lead on a 7-yard Levi Hill …

Gatlinburg-Pittman picks up first win of season at Austin-East

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Gatlinburg-Pittman traveled to Knoxville Friday night and came away with a resounding 44-27 win over Austin-East after tough losses to Seymour and Alcoa to start the season. “I am proud of these kids,” Gatlinburg-Pittman head coach Brad Waggoner said. “They have kept battling. It is hard when you lose an overtime game and a game last week that wasn’t close. I knew on Monday and Tuesday that we would win this game by the way we practiced.” The game was close early on, as the Highlanders led 21-14 late in the second quarter. Gatlinburg-Pittman would …

Alcoa routes Gatlinburg-Pittman 56-7

BY BRIAN HAMILTON ALCOA – Gatlinburg-Pittman traveled to Alcoa Friday night to face a dominant Tornadoes team. The Highlanders were missing five starters in the game and the Tornadoes jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back, using a 28-0 first quarter lead to defeat Gatlinburg-Pittman 56-7. The win improved Alcoa’s all-time series record against the Highlanders to 14-0. It only took the Tornadoes one play to take the lead, as Jordan Harris broke free for a 56-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Just 15 seconds into the game, the Alcoa student section had already started …

Seymour snaps 11-game losing streak, defeat Highlanders in OT

BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – The Seymour Eagles went winless in 2020, but snapped an 11-game losing streak, dating back to 2019, with a 14-13 overtime win against cross-county rival Gatlinburg-Pittman. It was ultimately a Wesley Zamoni extra-point, pushed back 10 yards due to penalty, that won the game. “Our word all week has been belief,” Seymour head coach Scott Branton said. “Our kids never lost the sight of belief. Last year was a learning experience. It was a tough year for everybody — not just football, but with everything going on in the lives of people with the pandemic. …