For the second week in a row, Richland’s offense came out of the locker room and stalled to begin the game. Conversely, Cornersville’s offense was able to build a lead and maintain it throughout the game en route to a 30-13 win Friday night.
Also for the second week in a row, Richland came out of halftime, and was able to get points on the board, closing the gap to 15-13 early in the third quarter. From there, however, it was all Bulldogs.
Ethan Erhardt caused and recovered a fumble on the first drive of the third quarter, and then hauled in a touchdown pass from Sam Edwards on the ensuing drive to put his team on the board. Edwards finished with 66 yards on 9-of-20 passing with a pair of picks to go with his touchdown.
Richland then cut the lead to two points after a Stacey Cross interception set up the Raiders at the Cornersville 25-yard-line. Four plays later, Edwards capped the drive with a six-yard run.
Momentum shifted just two plays later when Cornersville’s Cason Warner went 40 yards for a score, and the Bulldogs cruised from that point forward. Cason had 121 yards for the Bulldogs on 15 carries. He and Brady Calahan combined for 257 of Cornersville’s 290 rushing yards in the game.
Richland was held to just 183 total yards of offense in the game, and was without leading rusher Austin Seals in the contest. Seals has been out with a shoulder injury since early in the Raiders’ loss to Spring Hill in Week 8.
Of the different areas Richland coach Nick Patterson will point to in this loss, penalties will be high among them. The Raiders were flagged 13 times for 126 yards gifted to their opponent.
Cornersville 30, Richland 13 At Wayne Hobbs Stadium
C 8 7 6 9 30 R 0 0 13 0 13
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
C – Rhett Woodard 1 run (6:21) Brady Calahan run
SECOND QUARTER
C – Calahan 11 run (5:51) Jackson Williams kick
THIRD QUARTER
R – Ethan Erhardt 10 pass from Sam Edwards (7:15) Colton Trimble kick
R – Edwards 6 run (4:49) Trimble kick
C – Cason Warner 40 run (4:13) run failed
FOURTH QUARTER
C – Calahan 2 run (9:51) Williams kick
TEAM STATISTICS
C
R
First Downs
19
13
Rushes-Yards
43-290
36-117
Passing Yards
70
66
Comps-Atts-Ints
3-8-1
9-20-2
Penalties-Yards
4-25
13-126
Fumbles-Lost
2-2
1-1
Individual Statistics
RUSHING
Cornersville – Brady Calahan 14-136, Cason Warner 15-121, Jackson Farler 8-23, Rhett Woodard 5-10, RIley Qualls 1-0
Richland – Trey Walkington 14-69, Sam Edwards 17-50, Ethan Erhardt 2-12, Ethan Workman 1-0, Jack Norman 1-(-4), Bryce Miller 1-(-10)
SUMMERTOWN — After a fourth-down stop, Summertown took possession of the ball with 1:20 left and a two-point lead in its Region 5-2A matchup with visiting Eagleville.
With Eagleville down to its last timeout, it appeared as if Summertown would claim its first league win and keep its playoff hopes alive.
Those hopes were dashed in just seconds. Summertown attempted a handoff to running back Aniken Johnson. Eagleville’s defense met Johnson in the backfield, stuffed him and stripped the ball from him. Marcus Collins picked up the fumble and took it 39 yards into the end zone to give the visitors a touchdown with 1:11 left.
That was the only lead Eagleville had in the game, as the visiting Eagles defeated Summertown 18-14 in a stunning fashion.
The decision to run a play instead of taking a knee and forcing Eagleville to use its timeout was a bad one, coach Leslie Mote said.
“That’s on me,” he said. “That’s probably the worst coaching job I’ve ever done. I told the kids that it wasn’t on them, they played hard. It’s on me.”
Mote said he thought that the visitors had more timeouts and he thought he needed to run another play to take more time off the clock.
“With clock management, I didn’t do very good, I did terrible,” he said.
The teams exchanged touchdowns throughout the game, but Summertown converted its extra points, and Eagleville (3-5, 2-2) failed in its conversions, so Summertown stayed ahead until the end.
With Summertown (3-4, 0-3) ahead 14-6 in the third quarter, another mistake allowed the visitors to score a touchdown and cut the gap to 14-12. Facing fourth-and-5 from its 22, Summertown opted for a fake punt. Colton Shaffer, who doubles as the team’s quarterback and punter, feigned a rugby punt and instead attempted a pass — which was intercepted.
Two plays later, Eagleville’s Wyatt McLemore took it 24 yards into the end zone.
“We shouldn’t have run the fake punt,” said Mote.
Summertown’s three-headed running attack kept Eagleville off balance throughout the game. The host team mixed the quarterback draw with Shaffer, sweep play or quick handoff to Johnson, or ‘wildcat’ run with Javen Edmiston.
Most of the scoring took place in the second quarter. The first scoring drive for Summertown took 17 plays, 16 of them being running plays, and took 8:27 off the clock. Johnson scored on a six-yard run to give Summertown a 7-0 lead.
Eagleville responded with a score on its next possession. Collins connected on a 57-yard pass to Kaden Snitzer to put the Eagles at the Summertown 23, then threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Cade Pippenger. The visitors missed the extra point to make it 7-6.
Summertown responded with a quick score, going 63 yards in 11 plays to score with just 24 seconds left in the half. Shaffer connected with Justus Gray for a 16-yard touchdown on a slant pass.
Eagleville was its own worst enemy for much of the game. The visitors had 101 yards in penalties and had two turnovers.
“It was a wild way to win one, but you have to be proud of your kids,” said Eagleville coach Floyd Walker. “When you’re left for dead, and the kids make a play, that’s a will to win that you’re proud to see.”
Eagleville 18, Summertown 14 at Summertown
E 0 6 6 6– 18 S 0 14 0 0 – 14
SCORING SUMMARY
SECOND QUARTER
S — Aniken Johnson 6 run (4:54), Austin Abbott kick
E — Cade Peppinger 23 pass from Marcus Collins (2:56), run failed
S — Justus Gray 16 pass from Colton Shaffer (0:24), Abbott kick
THIRD QUARTER
E — Wyatt McLemore 24 run (4:23), pass failed
FOURTH QUARTER
E — Collins 39 fumble recovery (1:11), run failed
TEAM STATISTICS
E
S
First Downs
9
16
Rushes-Yards
20-111
48-162
Passing Yards
113
30
Comps-Atts-Ints
8-21-2
3-11-4
Penalties-Yards
11-101
5-35
Fumbles-Lost
2-0
4-1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
Eagleville — Bryce Lane 12-74, Wyatt McLemore 1-24, Marcus Collins 7-13
FRANKLIN – Page executed its game plan – running to set up the pass — and visiting Columbia Central couldn’t answer Friday in an eventual 28-10 Region 5-5A loss.
The Patriots threw for a pair of first-half touchdowns, tying the contest and taking the lead on the way to their second victory in as many outings over a four-week span interrupted by a COVID pause.
“We felt like we could run,” veteran Page coach Charles Rathbone said. “If we could, and make them put another (defender) in ‘the box’, then we could throw it.”
Just as they drew it up, the Pats (3-3, 1-1) answered Central’s impressive 15-play, 51-yard scoring drive with a mix of ground game and air attack. Junior Jake McNamara connected with Gunner Gist for the 23-yard score inside the final minute of the opening quarter.
Late in the second period, McNamara found Eston Snider in the middle of the Central defense, with Snider breaking a couple of tackles and speeding away for 59 yards and a 13-7 lead.
“That was just a quarterback and a receiver making a play,” Rathbone said.
On the ensuing possession, Central (4-4, 1-3) looked poised to take advantage of the missed Page extra point, going from its own 32-yard line to first-and-goal. But with time winding down, the Lions had to settle for a 22-yard Max Patton field goal and trailed 13-10 at intermission.
After Patton misfired from 23 yards to open the third quarter, McNamara and Snider hooked up again for 75 yards, and Central only ran two plays on the plus side of the 50 the rest of the night.
“We played solid for the first of the game,” Lions coach Jason Hoath said. “But turnovers (three interceptions) and penalties were an issue. It’s been a broken record. You can’t win games when you play that way.
“We played hard. I’m proud of them. We fought hard to the end. But we’ve got to clean that up.”
Despite a 90-yard rushing effort by Christian Biggers, Columbia Central finished with just 185 offensive yards – only 71 in the final two quarters.
McNamara wound up throwing for 224 yards for the Patriots. Cason Walker finished with a pair of interceptions, the second of which he returned 48 yards for the final score of the night.
“We knew they were a tough team, better than their record indicated,” Hoath said after Central lost for the fourth time in as many meetings with Page. “They’ve got some quickness on offense. They played well.”
The Lions finished the game with Parker Bush under center, as both McCanless and running back Justin Buchmann sustained head injuries while offensive lineman Louis Maddox injured his left ankle during the contest.
“We’re a little banged up across the board,” Hoath said.
Page 28, Columbia Central 10 at Waylon Jennings Stadium
C 7 3 0 0 — 10 P 7 6 7 8 — 28
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER
C — Brady McCanless 1 run (3:56), Max Patton kick
P — Gunner Gist 23 pass from Jake McNamara (0:22), Dominicke Quarantello kick
SECOND QUARTER
P — Eston Snider 59 pass from McNamara (2:24), kick failed
C — Patton 22 field goal (0:00)
THIRD QUARTER
P — Snider 75 pass from McNamara (6:05), Quarantello kick
FOURTH QUARTER
P — Safety: bad snap downed in end zone (3:10)
P — Cason Walker 48 interception return (0:50), kick failed
TEAM STATISTICS
C
P
First Downs
16
13
Rushes-Yards
44-97
27-119
Passing Yards
88
224
Comps-Atts-Ints
14-24-3
9-15-0
Penalties-Yards
5-41
8-72
Fumbles-Lost
1-0
1-1
Individual Statistics RUSHING
Columbia Central – Parker Bush 2-(-16), Justin Buchmann 16-24, Brady McCanless 4-11, Christian Biggers 17-90, Deandre Williams 2-2
Page – Jordan Rutland 15-48, Jake McNamara 8-22, Hank White 7-36
PASSING
Columbia Central – Parker Bush 6-10-1, 23, Brady McCanless 8-14-2, 65
Page – Jake McNamara 9-15-0, 224
RECEIVING
Columbia Central – Adrien Hidalgo 5-25, Jase Hoath 1-9, Deandre Williams 1-4, Steven Kinnard 5-42, Justin Buchmann 2-8
Barring any ‘unforeseen circumstances’ in the next few hours, Friday promises to provide the first set of high school football games this season in which each area team plays its originally scheduled opponent.
No COVID cancellations. No last-minute replacements.
In a season best described as ‘fluid’, that bit of consistency this far into the season is stunning at best.
Perhaps it’ll help Mostradamus with his Week 9 attempts at prognostication. Let’s see.
Columbia Central (4-3, 1-2) at Page (2-3, 0-1): For observers that are into comparing scores, Central’s 42-13 loss to Giles County in Week 4 and Page’s 36-10 win over the Bobcats two weeks later certainly make the hosts a fashionable favorite in this key Region 5-5A matchup. Rarely is it that simple, but the Lions coming off a 15-11 league loss at Franklin County and an open week may further simplify the situation. Still, this is a young Patriot squad that hasn’t played since that Giles County win, as they were sidelined for COVID concerns for their scheduled Oct. 2 matchup with Summit and had an open date as well last week. Junior QB Jake McNamara has emerged as an offensive leader, running and throwing for 268 yards and four total TDs in his team’s last outing. Meanwhile, Central has been solid defensively since that Week 4 defeat – limiting Lincoln County, Nolensville and Franklin County to just under 17 points apiece on average. DE Antwan Moore, LB Shane Cobb and DBs Nick Butler and Roman Woodson have helped key an effort on that side of the ball that has typically kept the Lions in games. If the offensive unit can minimize turnovers and undisciplined penalties, Central could pick up a much-needed road win. Columbia Central 24, Page 20.
Cornersville (5-2, 1-2) at Richland (2-4, 1-1): The host Raiders acquitted themselves well in a 19-14 loss last week to visiting Class 4A foe Spring Hill, taking that game right down to the wire despite the absence of senior RB Austin Seals. A win in this Region 5-1A matchup against the Associated Press No. 9 Bulldogs could keep Richland in the hunt for a second straight playoff berth. Cornersville’s only league victory thus far came when Mt. Pleasant was unable to play because of COVID concerns; the Bulldogs lost to Fayetteville two weeks ago and come off an open date. For Richland, this could be another close-and-late affair. Cornersville 27, Richland 23.
Dickson Co. (1-6, 0-3) at Independence (4-1, 2-0): Another team that hasn’t played in October, Independence will try to pick up where it left off – defeating Hendersonville 35-23 in Week 6 – while facing a Dickson County squad coached by former Eagles assistant Greg Burns. The Cougars, led by RB Clinton Shrader (599 rushing yards, five TDs), recorded a ‘COVID win’ in Week 4 when McGavock was unavailable to play. On the field, Dickson County has yet to score more than 21 points or allow fewer than 22, outscored by an average margin of 18.5 points. How the Independence offense, triggered by QB Jaxson Campbell (1,509 offensive yards, 19 TDs) responds after two weeks off will be worth monitoring, but the Eagles should emerge with their fifth straight victory in this Region 6-6A tilt. Independence 38, Dickson Co. 13.
Eagleville (2-5, 1-2) at Summertown (3-3, 0-2): Quarantined for the past two weeks, Summertown will have had one day of practice before Eagleville visits for a Region 5-2A contest with postseason implications for both squads. Lack of preparation time aside, though, the break may have come at a good time for the hosts, who had dropped three straight after a 3-0 start (including a ‘COVID win’ over Collinwood) saw them break into the AP Class 2A Top 10 at No. 9. Offensively, Summertown hasn’t been as potent as desired to this point; despite the presence of junior QB Colton Shaffer, RB Aniken Johnson and RB/WR Javen Edmiston (499 rushing/receiving yards, seven TDs), that unit has averaged 16.2 points. Eagleville, meanwhile, opened the year with three straight losses and comes in on a two-game skid, but posted back-to-back wins over Pickett County and Community. Three of Eagleville’s losses, including a 39-7 defeat at the hands of league-leading Lewis County on Oct. 2, have come to AP Top 10 opposition. With both teams in dire need of a win, this should be a nailbiter. Eagleville 17, Summertown 12.
Marshall Co. (6-1, 2-1) at Spring Hill (2-4, 1-1): Despite wins in their last two outings, the host Raiders will have their work cut out for them against the No. 4 team in Class 4A. Among Marshall County’s victories are one against 2019 state finalist Springfield and two against Class 5A foes Shelbyville and Lincoln County. And besides the Tigers’ 42-7 loss to unbeaten, third-ranked Region 4-4A leader Tullahoma, they have scored 25 points or more in each of their outings. QB Bryson Hammons has thrown for 1,010 yards and 12 TDs, with WR A’ky Howard (369 receiving yards, two TDs) emerging as his favorite target. Spring Hill, meanwhile, has seen some explosiveness of late from Landen Secrest; over the past two games, the senior RB/WR has 181 scrimmage yards and three offensive TDs on 12 touches. He, RB Mac Richie and WR Dante Prowell will be challenged to keep up with the visitors’ attack. Marshall Co. 28, Spring Hill 17.
Shelbyville (5-2, 2-0) at Summit (7-1, 3-0): Since a season-opening loss to Class 4A power Tullahoma, the visiting Golden Eagles have averaged 42.2 points, with QB Kade Cunningham running the offense for first-year coach Josh Pickett. Of late, Shelbyville has put up 44, 66 and 50 points in wins over Centennial, Lincoln County and Cleveland. Those numbers certainly have the attention of a Summit squad that shook off the rust from a couple of COVID breaks to defeat Region 5-5A host Franklin County 33-9 last week. Spartans QB Destin Wade (1,426 offensive yards, 18 TDs) threw three interceptions in the win, but also threw for 126 yards and a pair of TDs. If this turns into the shootout that previous performances might indicate, senior DE/LB Gavin Wells will take on added importance for the hosts as Keaten Wade – who made his season debut at Franklin County after foot surgery – will not play because of foot soreness. Summit 41, Shelbyville 33.
Tipton-Rosemark (3-4, 2-4) at Columbia Acad. (0-5, 0-3): The visiting Wolves have been prone to allowing points; opponents have outscored them by an average of 45 points in their four losses. That’s a number that may bode well for a CA squad that put forth its most productive offensive performance in last week’s 22-21 overtime loss at Trinity Christian. Behind senior FB Max Ballard (130 rushing yards, TD), the Bulldogs rolled up 279 offensive yards and gained 19 first downs. If Columbia Academy can build on that outing and reduce its miscues (three turnovers, nine penalties vs. Trinity), that long-sought first victory could be in sight. Columbia Acad. 23, Tipton-Rosemark 16.
Zion Chr. (3-4) at Mt. Pleasant (1-5): Ahead of this rivalry game, Mt. Pleasant picked up its first win of the season last week – defeating Loretto 27-20 – with the Tigers as close to full strength as they’ve been at any point this season. With the bulk of their roster on hand, the hosts put up a dominant rushing performance, finishing with 277 yards on the ground as sophomore Zavier Davidson ran for 164 and three TDs. Conversely, the Eagles will look to do their damage in the passing game with junior QB Luke Perko (1,493 offensive yards, 17 total TDs) leading the way. Mt. Pleasant 26, Zion Chr. 21.
There continues to be minimal movement throughout the Associated Press statewide high school football polls, particularly as it relates to area teams.
Following its 33-9 Region 5-5A win Friday at Franklin County, Summit is listed at No. 5 for the fifth consecutive week as the Class 5A rankings are largely unchanged. The Spartans (7-1) are slated to host Shelbyville in a pivotal league matchup Friday.
Tullahoma and Marshall County are still ranked third and fourth in Class 4A, with the Wildcats (7-0) to play at Region 4-4A rival Lawrence County this weekend and the Tigers (6-1) traveling to Spring Hill. Marshall County completed a season sweep of Giles County with last week’s 25-15 victory, while Tullahoma was idle.
Coming off an open date, Lewis County (7-0) maintains the No. 3 spot in the Class 2A poll, heading into its Region 5 matchup with host Loretto.
In Class 1A, previous No. 2 Copper Basin’s loss to McMinn Central cleared the way for an idle Fayetteville to move up a spot from third. The Tigers (6-1) step out of Region 5 play Friday to face visiting Gordonsville.
League rivals Moore County and Cornersville extended their top 10 runs another week, with the Raiders (6-1) slipping a slot to sixth despite a 41-0 win over Jo Byrns and the Bulldogs (5-2) holding on at No. 9 with an open date. Cornersville plays Friday at Richland, with Moore County traveling to Huntland.
——————————————————
The top 10 teams in each of Tennessee’s six Division I non-financial aid classifications and the top five teams in each of the state’s three Division II financial aid classifications as selected by Tennessee Associated Press-member sportswriters and broadcasters follow (first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 12, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote and previous ranking):
1. Davidson Acad. (13) 7-0 138 1 2. Donelson Chr. 6-0 124 2 3. Jackson Chr. (1) 7-0 114 3 4. The King’s Acad. (1) 7-1 101 5 5. Univ. School of Jackson 5-2 74 4 Others receiving 12 points or more: Friendship Chr. 20
Division II-AA
1. Christ Presbyterian Acad. (13) 5-0 139 1 2. Christian Acad. of Knoxville (1) 7-0 132 2 3. Lipscomb Acad. 5-2 100 4. Evangelical Chr. 4-2 67 5 5. Grace Chr.-Knoxville (1) 7-1 66 3 Others receiving 12 points or more: Goodpasture 33; Lausanne 27; Chattanooga Chr. 21
Division II-AAA
1. Brentwood Acad. (15) 8-0 150 1 2. McCallie 5-2 133 2 3. Christian Brothers 4-1 111 3 4. Pope John Paul II 6-1 85 5 5. Father Ryan 4-2 61 NR Others receiving 12 points or more: Montgomery Bell Acad. 31; Baylor 14
Jaxson Campbell, Independence 5 64-118-940 10/1 Luke Perko, Zion Chr. 7 61-132-865 13/5 Brady McCanless, Columbia Central 7 73-128-772 6/6 Destin Wade, Summit 6 44-74-713 9/5 Luka Boylan, Spring Hill 6 55-112-658 3/4 Sam Edwards, Richland 6 39-70-391 2/4 Colton Shaffer, Summertown 5 26-61-322 2/2 Bryant Beranek, Columbia Acad. 5 23-56-234 2/8 Te’Varius Strayhorn, Mt. Pleasant 5 17-37-156 1/4
Calvin Wilson, Independence 5 14-360 25.7 6 Sam Sullivan, Zion Chr. 7 21-322 15.3 7 Steven Kinnard, Columbia Central 7 19-316 16.6 3 Collins Malone, Columbia Acad. 5 18-254 14.1 2 Ty Lockwood, Independence 5 19-245 12.9 0 Brady Pierce, Summit 6 12-236 19.7 3 Davis Duffy, Zion Chr. 7 11-205 18.6 2 Remone Kelley, Spring Hill 6 10-161 16.1 2 Brandon King, Summit 6 8-152 19.0 4 Sam Duffy, Zion Chr. 7 11-139 12.6 1
