West hangs 76 points on Cocke County

BY BRIAN HAMILTON NEWPORT – Senior night did not quite go as planned for Cocke County on Friday night, as top-ranked West came in and destroyed the Fighting Cocks 76-7. The Rebels amassed 609 yards of total offense, with 490 of those yards coming on the ground. West averaged 19 yards per play. The rout began on West’s first play from scrimmage, as Brayden Latham sliced the Fighting Cock defense for an 89-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead just under two minutes into the game. The Rebels took a 14-0 lead when quarterback Carson Jessie found Jaqurius Wrenn for …

Seymour

Seymour defeats Grainger to clinch first playoff berth since 2015

BY BRIAN HAMILTON RUTLEDGE – Seymour clinched a playoff birth with a 35-14 win over Grainger on Friday, one year after going winless. “The turnover game is very important,” Seymour head coach Scott Branton said. “Whoever wins the turnover battle and runs the football better usually wins.” Seymour forced seven Grainger turnovers and slightly outrushed the Grizzlies 131 to 125. Grainger’s first turnover came on its first snap of the game, which was recovered by Seymour’s Tyler Rogers. The Eagles took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 5-yard run by Kai Thompson with 7:34 left, capping a …

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 …

Sevier County players have record setting night in 42-0 win over Heritage

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEVIERVILLE – Sevier County kept Heritage winless on Thursday night, as quarterback Collin Shannon threw for 283 yards, helping him surpass the school passing record of 6,288 career yards. Linebacker Garrett Hawkins also recorded 10 tackles, making him the Smoky Bears’ all-time leader in tackles. Sevier County opened the game with an 80-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead with 10:29 remaining in the opening quarter. Heritage would fumble on its first possession, giving the Smoky Bears a short field, which led to another score, putting the Mountaineers in a 14-0 hole less than three minutes …

Carter survives scare from Morristown West 24-19

BY BRIAN HAMILTON STRAWBERRY PLAINS – Carter survived by the skin of its teeth again, as Wilson came through in the clutch with a touchdown run to give the Hornets a 24-19 win over Morristown West. The game featured a total of 38 penalties for 375 yards. The Trojans took a 3-0 on its first drive when Caleb Santana connected on a 28-yard field goal with 10:03 remaining in the first quarter. Carter would get on the board with a Chandler Wilson touchdown pass to Kaleb Harper. The two-point conversion attempt failed, however, making the score 6-3 with 4:44 left …