Jefferson County’s Hall injured in 37-0 loss to Science Hill

BY BRIAN HAMILTON JOHNSON CITY – Jefferson County and Science Hill came into the game tied for first place in Class 6A Region 1 at 3-0 apiece. The Hilltoppers sent the Patriots home with a 37-0 win, however, and knocked them into second place, thanks in part to Jefferson County owning the head-to-head over Dobyns-Bennett. “We played a complete game on both sides of the ball, which we needed,” Science Hill head coach Stacy Carter said. “I’m proud of them.” Science Hill took an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter when Jefferson County threw the ball out of the …

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 …

Maryville routes winless Hardin Valley 61-3

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Maryville jumped out on Hardin Valley early, taking a 28-3 lead in the first quarter and a 45-3 lead at halftime. The Rebels would win the game by a score of 61-3, despite a running clock in the second half. Maryville amassed 398 total yards on 50 plays, while holding Hardin Valley to just 76. “Our goal was to play fast and play with purpose and I thought we did that early on,” Maryville head coach Derek Hunt said. “Obviously, Hardin Valley isn’t having the kind of year they’d like to have, but doesn’t need …

Cosby falls to Unaka 54-12 in region finale

BY BRIAN HAMILTON COSBY – The Eagles’ defense played well early, but Unaka’s high-octane offense was too much to handle in the end, as Cosby lost its final region game by a score of 54-12. Devonte Wigfall intercepted Unaka quarterback Landon Ramsey on the Rangers’ first drive to give Cosby good field position for their first possession. The Eagles drove to the Unaka 5-yard line, but turned the ball over when quarterback Tyler Turner fumbled a handoff, which the Rangers recovered. Unaka capitalized on the turnover when Ramsey hit Caleb Lydick for a 68-yard touchdown to take an 8-0 lead. …

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 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 …

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 …

TKA picks up big region win over Lakeway Christian 42-27

BY BRIAN HAMILTON WHITE PINE – TKA responded to a 35-20 loss to Middle Tennessee Christian that dashed the Lions’ region championship hopes with a solid 42-27 region win over Lakeway Christian Friday night. The King’s Academy jumped out to a quick 28-6 first quarter lead over Lakeside Christian behind four touchdowns by senior running back Nakelin McAfee. Leading 14-0, the Lions were able to recover a fumble on a strip sack, giving the offense a short field, which led to a McAfee touchdown to make the score 21-0. Lakeway Christian was finally able to get on the scoreboard when …

Morristown East earns first win of season, defeating Cocke County 42-7

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MORRISTOWN – Cocke County handed Morristown East its first win of the season on Friday night. The Fighting Cocks looked good early, as they scored on their first possession. However, the Hurricanes would score 42 unanswered points to win 42-7. Cocke County received the opening kick and marched down the field for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead with 9:12 left in the first quarter. Morristown East would answer immediately, as Eli Seals found Trevor Malone for a touchdown. The Hurricanes converted the extra-point to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:50 left in the first. …