Photos from the Blackman vs. Chalkville game the first game of the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

MURFREESBORO — Blackman showed progress on offense and defense over the past two weeks since losing its season opener against national power Clay-Chalkville, Ala.

This week, a second out-of-state team rolls into the ‘Boro.

Tucker High School, a Class 6A program located in DeKalb County, travels to Blackman in search of its third straight win. The school is located north of Atlanta. The Tigers won state titles in 2008 and 2011.

Fourth-year coach Bryan Lamar said he scheduled Blackman after he was able to drop a “very bad team” during the second year of a two-year contract.

“They weren’t very good,” Lamar said. “We had two of them that were very bad. We wanted to remove one and needed a game. It’s hard to find games anyway.

“We were fortunate to find a game. We wanted a good team and wanted to travel. We hadn’t traveled in a few years.”

Lamar said he had searched for games in north Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Lamar said the team will charter buses for the three-and-a-half-hour road trip.

Tucker is 2-1, with a loss to McEachern, which is ranked third in the Associated Press’ Georgia Class 6A statewide poll. Tucker is the first team not ranked receiving votes.

The Tigers, which run a Wing-T offense, are averaging 44.7 points and have scored 120 points over the past two weeks.

Quarterback Garrett Rigsby, a Harvard commitment, leads the offense. He has benefited from an offensive line that returns from a year ago. However, Lamar said the Tigers have been hit hard with injuries this season. They had eight starters out against McEachern and have had 17 injured.

“We’re getting back healthy,” Lamar said. “We’re getting close.”

The Tigers’ defense is led by defensive end Cecil Stallings, a South Carolina commitment, and linebacker Tabarius Peterson, a Louisville commitment.

Blackman football coach David Watson said Tucker looked very talented on film. He said the Tigers would compete well against anyone in Region 2-6A.

David Watson

“They look pretty good to me,” Watson said. “They look as good as anyone we’ll see around here. They are very athletic and well-coached.

“They haven’t been bad. They haven’t lost many games.”

Blackman running back Taeler Dowdy leads the Blaze ground game. He has 349 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Miller Armstrong has 285 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

“They have been really good over the past few years,” Lamar said. “In terms of scouting, they have a really good running back. They’ve got two good running backs (Dowdy and Master Teague). And they have a really good tight end (Joeseph Sewell). They’re physical on the offensive line.

“Defensively, their defensive line is outstanding. They are really fast and physical guys. We will have our hands full.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Week 4 games

(All games start at 7 p.m.)

Smyrna at Independence

Stewarts Creek at La Vergne

Loretto at Eagleville

Hillsboro at Riverdale

Wilson Central at Siegel*

Tucker (Ga.) at Blackman

MTCS at Monterey

Cannon Co. at Red Boiling Springs**

*WGNS (1450-AM, 100.5-FM, 101.9-FM)

**WBRY (1540-AM, 96.7-FM)

Blaze vs. Out-of-State Teams

Blackman is 0-3 over the past three seasons against out-of-state teams.

Aug. 22, 2015 vs. Clay-Chalkville, Ala. L 38-7

Oct. 31, 2014 at Hoover, Ala. L 35-20

Nov. 1, 2013 at Bowling Green, Ky. L 26-25

Collegiate Football on the Field

2-6A

5-5A

4-3A

4-2A

5-1A

Siegel’s Veronica Westfall is 14-1 with a 0.50 ERA this season.

Siegel’s Kara Lynee Levi tags out harding Valley Academy’s Leslie Beecham at home in the fourth inning Tuesday during the first round of the Class AAA Softball Tournament.

MURFREESBORO — Veronica Westfall decided she wanted to stay at home for her college softball career, and Siegel teammate KaraLynne Levi chose a school that was her family’s home in their college days.

Westfall, who was The Daily News Journal’s 2015 Pitcher of the Year, committed to MTSU Thursday night. That came after Levi, the Lady Stars’ catcher, recently committed to Carson-Newman.

“I felt like it was home, and it’s just the community I want to be in,” Westfall said. “When I was on other visits, I ended up texting my mom and dad when I got there. I thought I’d get homesick.

“Here I’m just five minutes from home.”

Commitments are non-binding for the athlete and the school. Westfall and Levi cannot sign until the early signing period begins on Nov. 11.

Westfall, who was a Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class AAA all-state member, was the District 7-AAA Pitcher of the Year. She helped Siegel reach the TSSAA Class AAA state tournament this past season, posting a 30-6 record in her first season as the Lady Stars’ ace. She had 324 strikeouts and a 1.37 ERA. As the team’s lead-off hitter, she hit .402 with seven home runs, 18 doubles, five triples and 43 RBIs.

Siegel’s KaraLynne Levi, left, and Veronica Westfall recently committed to Carson-Newman and MTSU respectively.

Both Westfall and Levi were DNJ All-Area First Team Members.

Westfall said MTSU’s coaching staff recruited her as a two-way player — pitcher and middle infielder.

“That’s good because different colleges that had talked to me wanted me for just one position,” Westfall said. “Middle Tennessee wanted me for all three — pitcher, middle infielder and a hitter. And they think I can compete my freshman year for playing time.”

MTSU’s 2016 signing class includes Oakland left-handed pitcher Lacie Rinus.

“We talked (Thursday) night,” Westfall said of Rinus. “We plan on rooming together.”

Levi, a senior, hit .321 this past season with three home runs and 43 RBIs. She is also known for her defense behind the plate.

Levi said she will be a fourth-generation athlete at Carson-Newman.

Levi said her father played football at the Jefferson City college. Her grandfather was an all-American pitcher there, and her great-grandfather ran track and played football at the NCAA Division II school.

“It means a lot to go there,” Levi said. “But I wasn’t forced. I wanted to continue the family legacy.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Collegiate Football on the Field

RUSHING

PASSING

RECEIVING

SCORING

Smyrna football coach Matt Williams

THOMPSON’S STATION — The first possession of the game and the last possession of the first half provided the scores that Independence needed to defeat Smyrna in a battle between ranked teams.

Independence, ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, defeated Smyrna, the No. 10 team in Class 6A, 21-7 to hand the Bulldogs their first loss.

The Eagles (4-0) scored touchdowns on their opening possession and the possession to end the half for 14 of their 21 points. Neither team scored in the second half as they battled each other’s strong defenses on the wet muddy field.

The Eagles took the opening kickoff and drove 74 yards in 17 plays to get into the end zone on a five-yard pass from Adam Swayze to Seth Huner. The drive took 7:35 off the clock and gave Independence a 7-0 lead.

“It was good for our confidence level,” said Independence coach Scott Blade. “We gave them a bunch of different looks. Obviously Smyrna was undefeated coming into the game. We knew we were going to get a tough physical battle. To get that first drive, it was absolutely huge for us.”

The Eagles had 68 rushing yards in the first drive. They had 167 for the game. Swayze, who converted from wide receiver with starting QB Andrew Bunch out with an injury, had 50 rushing yards and 121 passing yards.

“They ran the football effectively, and that hurt us in the first half,” said Smyrna coach Matt Williams. “It worries you a little bit, us getting tired and them gaining some momentum. But I thought the score late in the half was what hurt us there. We could have gone in 14-7.”

The Eagles were ahead 14-7 and gained possession after a Smyrna punt on its own 38 with 2:54 left. They executed the two-minute offense effectively and drove downfield to score on a five-yard pass from Adam Swayze to Pierre Watkins with just 11 seconds remaining.

The Eagles converted a third-and-7 during the drive from the 34 when Swayze scrambled to pick up the first down.

Smyrna (3-1) fumbled the ball away to Independence at the 48 on the first play of the second quarter. The Eagles capitalized when Swayze went deep to Nate Johnson for a touchdown.

Siegel’s head football Coach Greg Wyant

MURFREESBORO — Siegel will have to wait another week for its first victory as the Stars fell to Wilson Central 46-29 on Friday night at Ken Nolan Stadium.

The Wildcats (3-1) employed a Wing-T offense and gashed the Stars throughout the night, racking up nearly 470 rushing yards, including 252 yards and five touchdowns from Tyler Bowes.

The Wing-T is an especially rare offense to face, but the Stars (0-4) have run into the offense for three consecutive weeks and have yet to contain it.

Siegel Coach Greg Wyant said, “It (the Wing-T) shouldn’t be hard to prepare for. We’ve played it three weeks in a row. We’re just not very good defensively, and ultimately that’s my fault.”

The Stars started the game off quickly with Greedy Howse taking the opening kickoff 50 yards to the Wildcats’ 40. Quarterback Jordan Middleton then completed a 30-yard strike to Marcus Wilson which ultimately set up a touchdown run by Howse.

After jumping to a 7-0 lead, things quickly went downhill as the Wildcats scored points off consecutive miscues from the Stars.

Middleton threw an interception that was returned inside the Stars’ red zone, and Bowes scored a touchdown a few plays later. The next mishap occurred on the very next series as a bad snap on a punt allowed the Wildcats to get a safety bumping the lead to 16-7.

Bowes added a 47-yard touchdown on the next drive, and suddenly a seven-point lead turned into a 16 point deficit.

“The air went out of the balloon with those two things and we never were able to respond after that,” said Wyant.

Behind the play of Bowes, Jordan Hooper, and Jordan Wilson, the Wildcats were able to answer every surge by the Stars and enjoyed a comfortable lead for most of the night.

Howse was the lone bright spot for the Stars as he was electric throughout the game, piling up over 200 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns including a 88-yard touchdown run that brought the Stars within 12 of the Wildcats before halftime.

Bowes answered with a 80-yard of his run pushing the lead to 33-14 which would ultimately be too much for the Stars to overcome.

The Stars would make things interesting again trimming the lead down to 39-29 late in the fourth, but after the Stars could not recover the onside kick, the Wildcats quickly scored, putting a stamp on their victory.

Though they’re in the midst of the-four game losing streak, Wyant doesn’t expect to change much, “We’re not going to change the way we prepare. We prepare successfully every week.

”We just have to improve on defense and find ways to win because we’re just not doing that right now.”

“

”

Football

EAGLEVILLE — Eagleville senior Tyler Griffin excited a Homecoming crowd Friday night with three interceptions, one of which, he took to the house for a 60-yard score as Eagleville evened its record at 2-2 and defeated Loretto 17-0 .

The teams traded interceptions in the first half Friday night, and the Eagles took a 3-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The only points in the first half came when freshman Josh Stout kicked a 30-yard field goal with 1:13 left in the first quarter. The field goal came after Griffin picked off a Loretto pass inside the 15-yard line.

However, the stingy Mustang defense didn’t give in and held the Eagles to the field goal.

Loretto returned the favor in the second quarter with an interception of its own at the 40-yard line.

Ethan Cobb’s pass was tipped by his receiver and picked by Loretto’s Ezra Childress with 6:30 left in the second quarter. However, the Eagles’ defense tightened up and forced the Mustangs to punt.

The play of the second quarter and maybe the game came with under 10 seconds left in the first half. Loretto senior Nicholas Kersteins intercepted a Cobb pass and darted 65 yards to score, but a block in the back by Loretto negated the TD.

Both teams traded three and outs in the third quarter until Eagleville’s Ben Cobb recovered a Loretto fumbled punt at the 23-yard line.

Two minutes later, the Eagleville quarterback, freshman Ethan Cobb connected with Graham Hatcher on a 28-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining.

Eagleville got on the board again in the fourth quarter when Tyler Griffin took his second interception of the night and returned it 60 yards for the score.

Blackman’s Taeler Dowdy (3) runs the ball as Tucker’s Demarko Durr moves in for the tackle at Blackman Friday Sept. 11, 2015.

MURFREESBORO – Miller Armstrong and Taeler Dowdy combined for 283 rushing yards and sixth-ranked Blackman defeated Tucker, Georgia 34-21 Friday night at The Inferno.

Armstrong, the Blaze senior quarterback, rushed for 146 yards on 14 carries. He rushed for a touchdown, threw a TD and caught one on a double pass from Conner Mitchell.

Dowdy had 137 yards on 27 carries and scored a TD.

“Our offensive line works harder than anybody,” Armstrong said. “They’ve done a great job. If you would have seen them in the spring and the jump they made.”

Blackman jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead to open the game.

“I think that shocked them a little, that we were ready to play,” Dowdy said. “I think we were more ready than they were.”

Armstrong reeled in the double pass to open the scoring. He caught the ball near the Blaze sidelines and ran it behind three offensive line into the end zone.

“I just felt like in a game like this as good as a team as they are, you’ve got to score,” Blackman coach David Watson said. “You can’t leave things on the table.

“I wasn’t going to be conservative. We were going to play to win. That’s what we did.”

Blackman (3-1) collected its first win over an out-of-state team in four contests since 2013.

Blake Taylor picked off his first of two passes to set up the next score – a Joeseph Sewell 3-yard pass from Armstrong – with 6:29 left in the first quarter.

Tucker’s Chris Broadwater cut the deficit in half with a 7-yard TD run with 1:44 left in the first quarter. Broadwater had 153 rushing yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.

Kicker Thomas Burks had two field goals (40 and 36) in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Blackman’s win was its third straight after opening the season with a 38-7 loss to Clay-Chalkville, Alabama.

Since then, the Blaze have rattled off wins over Chattanooga McCallie, Riverdale and Tucker.

“That was what we were worried about – how tough our early schedule was, and still is,” Watson said. “It doesn’t get much easier.

“But early on, it was really a challenge. It’s hard to gage a kid’s heart, character and want to. Our kids buy in, and that’s what I’m most proud of right now.”

Blackman plays at third-ranked Oakland (2-1) on Friday.

Blackman held Tucker, which had scored 120 points over the past two weeks, to just 285 total yards, including 214 rushing yards on 41 carries.

“We got stops, when we needed to get stops,” Watson said. “That’s what defense is about. We came up with two huge stops in the third and fourth quarter.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

MURFREESBORO — Miller Armstrong and Taeler Dowdy combined for 283 rushing yards, and sixth-ranked Blackman defeated Tucker, Georgia, 34-21 Friday night at The Inferno.

Armstrong, the Blaze senior quarterback, rushed for 146 yards on 14 carries. He rushed for a touchdown, threw a TD and caught one on a double pass from Connor Mitchell.

Dowdy had 137 yards on 27 carries and scored a TD.

“Our offensive line works harder than anybody,” Armstrong said. “They’ve done a great job. If you would have seen them in the spring and the jump they made.”

Blackman jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead to open the game.

“I think that shocked them a little, that we were ready to play,” Dowdy said. “I think we were more ready than they were.”

Armstrong reeled in the double pass to open the scoring. He caught the ball near the Blaze sidelines and ran it behind three offensive linemen into the end zone.

“I just felt like in a game like this as good as a team as they are, you’ve got to score,” Blackman coach David Watson said. “You can’t leave things on the table.

“I wasn’t going to be conservative. We were going to play to win. That’s what we did.”

Blackman (3-1) collected its first win over an out-of-state team in four contests since 2013.

Blake Taylor picked off his first of two passes to set up the next score — a Joeseph Sewell 3-yard pass from Armstrong — with 6:29 left in the first quarter.

Tucker’s Chris Broadwater cut the deficit in half with a 7-yard TD run with 1:44 left in the first quarter. Broadwater had 153 rushing yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.

Kicker Thomas Burks had two field goals (40 and 36) in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Blackman’s win was its third straight after opening the season with a 38-7 loss to Clay-Chalkville, Alabama.

Since then, the Blaze have rattled off wins over Chattanooga McCallie, Riverdale and Tucker.

“That was what we were worried about — how tough our early schedule was, and still is,” Watson said. “It doesn’t get much easier.

“But early on, it was really a challenge. It’s hard to gauge a kid’s heart, character and want to. Our kids buy in, and that’s what I’m most proud of right now.”

Blackman plays at third-ranked Oakland (2-1) Friday.

Blackman held Tucker, which had scored 120 points over the past two weeks, to just 285 total yards, including 214 rushing yards on 41 carries.

“We got stops, when we needed to get stops,” Watson said. “That’s what defense is about. We came up with two huge stops in the third and fourth quarter.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Friday’s Scores

Blackman 34, Tucker, Ga. 21

Riverdale 24, Hillsboro 21

Independence 21, Smyrna 7

Wilson Central 46, Siegel 29

La Vergne 35, Stewarts Creek 21

Eagleville 17, Loretto 0

Monterey 30, MTCS 13

Red Boiling Springs 21, Cannon Co. 14

Collegiate Football on the Field

PREP FOOTBALL

Adamsville 28, Baldwyn, Miss. 15

Arlington 49, Sheffield 6

Bartlett 39, Oakhaven 0

Baylor 55, Howard 7

Blackman 34, Tucker, Ga. 21

Bledsoe County 34, Whitwell 0

Bradley Central 34, Cleveland 20

Brentwood 21, Franklin 13

Brentwood Academy 70, Jackson Central-Merry 0

Briarcrest 27, Germantown 0

Brighton 21, Covington 13

CAK 32, Knoxville Webb 14

Cane Ridge 33, McGavock 14

CBHS 49, Houston 14

Centennial 30, Ravenwood 13

Cherokee, N.C. 52, Cosby 22

Cherokee 42, Cocke County 12

Chester County 40, Ripley 12

Chuckey-Doak 36, South Greene 8

Claiborne County 57, Cumberland Gap 40

Clarksville 21, Springfield 17

Clarksville NE 34, Kenwood 6

Clarksville NW 27, West Creek 12

Cloudland 36, Avery County, N.C. 29

Coalfield 43, Wartburg Central 8

Coffee County 41, Walker Valley 29

Collierville 17, Millington 7

Columbia 21, Lawrence County 16

Columbia Academy 49, Mt. Pleasant 19

Cookeville 41, White County 0

Cordova 49, Booker T. Washington 0

CPA 34, Pearl-Cohn (MLK -FB coop) 26

Creek Wood 20, Cheatham County 14

Crockett County 27, Dyersburg 7

Davidson Academy 27, Chattanooga Christian 26

DeKalb County 27, Cumberland County 25

Dickson County 49, Spring Hill 42, OT

Dobyns-Bennett 49, Sevier County 41

Dresden 48, Ballard Memorial, Ky. 6

Eagleville 17, Loretto 0

East Nashville Literature 24, Marshall County 8

Elizabethton 21, Daniel Boone 7

FACS 38, Douglass 0

Fairview 34, Waverly 25

Farragut 40, Bearden 9

Father Ryan 30, Pope John Paul II 22

Fayette Academy 49, Tunica Academy, Miss. 44

Fayetteville 42, Cascade 21

Franklin Road Academy 57, Goodpasture 7

George Carver 50, Martin Luther King 46

Gibbs 33, Karns 18

Gibson County 19, Fulton City, Ky. 6

Glencliff 8, Hillwood 7

Gordonsville 49, Clay County 6

Grace Christian – Franklin 15, Summertown 8

Greenbrier 17, White House 6

Greeneville 35, Morristown East 7

Greenfield 58, South Fulton 20

Halls 44, Memphis Northside 8

Hancock County 40, Rye Cove, Va. 6

Happy Valley 34, Unicoi County 19

Hardin County 28, Dyer County 21

Harding Academy 47, Woodstock, Ga. 0

Harpeth 62, Hickman County 43

Harriman 54, Unaka 0

Haywood County 22, Lexington 8

Hendersonville 30, Beech 16

Henry County 42, Gallatin 0

Huntingdon 49, Milan 14

Huntland 35, Richland 6

Independence 21, Smyrna 7

Jackson North Side 27, Obion County 0

Jackson South Side 39, Bolivar Central 18

Jo Byrns 20, Trousdale County 14

Johnson County 14, Sullivan Central 6

King’s Academy 28, Oneida 14

Kingston 35, Rockwood 27

Knoxville Catholic 35, Notre Dame 17

Knoxville Fulton 74, Austin-East 21

Knoxville Halls 62, Union County 0

Knoxville Hardin Valley 41, South Doyle 0

Knoxville West 34, Knoxville Carter 14

Lake County 46, West Carroll 12

Lausanne Collegiate 55, Bolton 12

LaVergne 35, Stewarts Creek 21

Lebanon 41, Summit 3

Lewis County 48, East Hickman 27

Liberty Magnet 54, Wooddale 32

Lincoln County 48, Giles County 7

Loudon 27, Sweetwater 3

Macon County 42, Jackson County 7

Marion County 62, South Pittsburg 21

Maryville 20, Alcoa 14

MBA 55, Hamilton 8

McCallie 49, Red Bank 14

McKenzie 29, Camden Central 14

McMinn Central 40, Polk County 20

McNairy Central 21, Hollow Rock-Bruceton 20

Melrose 33, Raleigh Egypt 6

Memphis Central 26, Craigmont 12

Midway 53, Lookout Valley 14

Monterey 30, Middle Tennessee Christian 13

Montgomery Central 28, Clarksville Academy 21

Moore County 48, Cornersville 7

Morristown West 31, Jefferson County 7

Mt. Juliet 51, Franklin County 12

Mt. Juliet Christian Academy 18, Houston County 13

MUS 35, Grenada, Miss. 17

Nashville Christian 46, Pickett County 6

Nashville Overton 33, Lipscomb Academy 14

Northpoint Christian 38, Magnolia Heights, Miss. 6

Northview Academy 41, Volunteer 20

Oakdale 24, Jellico 18

Olive Branch, Miss. 34, White Station 31

Ooltewah 51, East Hamilton 7

Page 14, Forrest 12

Peabody 35, Humboldt 0

Red Boiling Springs 21, Cannon County 14

Rhea County 55, Clinton 10

Riverdale 24, Hillsboro 21

Rosemark Academy 56, Macon Road Baptist 13

Rossview 26, Station Camp 20

Rossville Christian 34, Zion Christian Academy 31

Science Hill 43, Asheville Erwin, N.C. 19

Scott County 46, Grainger 8

Scotts Hill 63, Perry County 14

Sequatchie County 41, York Institute 15

Shelbyville 50, Tullahoma 0

Silverdale Baptist Academy 20, Grace Baptist 13

Smith County 41, Livingston Academy 21

South Gibson 34, Trinity Christian Academy 27

Southwind 50, Fairley 6

St. George’s 24, ECS 14

Starkville, Miss. 48, KIPP 0

Stewart County 28, McEwen 26

Stone Memorial 41, Upperman 22

Stratford 56, Ezell-Harding 10

Sullivan South 40, Gate City, Va. 35

Sunbright 22, Oliver Springs 7

Sycamore 14, Hunters Lane 12

Tellico Plains 20, Copper Basin 6

Tennessee 41, Virginia High, Va. 6

Trezevant 14, Ensworth 10

Tyner Academy 42, Signal Mountain 10

Union, Va. 41, David Crockett 32

Union City 69, Gleason 14

University-Jackson 38, Jackson Christian 3

Walnut, Miss. 16, Middleton 6

Watertown 35, Grundy County 28

Wayne County 47, Riverside 12

West Greene 35, North Greene 14

Westmoreland 35, Community 0

White House-Heritage 36, Portland 24

Whitehaven 33, Ridgeway 21

Whites Creek 26, Maplewood 7

William Blount 28, Heritage 20

Wilson Central 46, Siegel 29

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

McMinn County vs. Lenoir City, ccd.

Oak Ridge vs. Anderson County, ppd. to Sep 14.

Sequoyah vs. Greenback, ppd. to Sep 12.

Collegiate Football on the Field

Tennessee Football Prep Polls

The Associated Press’ Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee’s six Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through September 14, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:

Division 6A

Others receiving 12 or more points: N/A

Division 5A

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Hillsboro 20. 12, Southwind 16.

Division 4A

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Sullivan East 20. 12, Stone Memorial 18.

Division 3A

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Kingston 22. 12, Stratford 21. 13, East Ridge 15. 14, DeKalb County (1) 12.

Division 2A

Others receiving 12 or more points: N/A

Division 1A

Others receiving 12 or more points: N/A

Division II

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, University-Jackson 12.

All Associated Press members in Tennessee are eligible to participate in the high school football poll. Those who voted for this week’s poll are: The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens; Chattanooga Free Press, Chattanooga; Cleveland Daily Banner, Cleveland; Cookeville Herald-Citizen, Cookeville; State Gazette, Dyersburg; The Jackson Sun, Jackson; Johnson City Press, Johnson City; The Knoxville News Sentinel, Knoxville; Marshall County Tribune (Lewisburg); The Tomahawk (Mountain City); The Commercial Appeal, Memphis; Citizen Tribune, Morristown; The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro; The Tennessean (Nashville); The Paris Post-Intelligencer; The Mountain Press, Sevierville; Union City Daily Messenger, Union City; WVLT, Knoxville; WCMT, Martin; WNWS-FM, Jackson.

Maryville head coach George Quarles congratulates Tyler Vaught after he scored during their game against Alcoa Friday, August 29, 2014. (Photo by Wade Payne, Special to the News Sentinel)

MURFREESBORO — Here is my ballot for this week’s Associated Press’ statewide high school football poll.

This week’s poll will be released this afternoon.

CLASS 6A

1. Maryville (4-0)

2. Blackman (3-1)

3. Oakland (2-1)

4. Arlington (4-0)

5. Whitehaven (3-1)

6. Ravenwood (3-1)

7. Science Hill (3-0)

8. Dobyns-Bennett (3-1)

9. Cordova (4-0)

10. White Station (2-2)

CLASS 5A

1. Independence (4-0)

2. Hendersonville (4-0)

3. Morristown West (3-1)

4. Henry Co. (3-1)

5. Farragut (4-0)

6. Hillsboro (2-2)

7. Sevier Co. (3-1)

8. Rhea Co. (3-1)

9. Oak Ridge (2-1)

10. Ooltewah (3-1)

CLASS 4A

1. Knoxville Fulton (3-1)

2. Greeneville (3-1)

3. Ridgeway (2-2)

4. Memphis East (3-1)

5. Crockett Co. (3-1)

6. Knoxville Central (3-0)

7. Knoxville Catholic (2-2)

8. Hardin Co. (3-0)

9. Marshall Co. (3-1)

10. Pearl-Cohn (1-3)

CLASS 3A

1. CPA (4-0)

2. Alcoa (3-1)

3. CAK (4-0)

4. Liberty (4-0)

5. Elizabethton (2-1)

6. Notre Dame (2-2)

7. Pigeon Forge (3-0)

8. Kingston (4-0)

9. Jackson South Side (4-0)

10. East Ridge (3-0)

CLASS 2A

1. Marion Co. (4-0)

2. Trezevant (3-1)

3. Adamsville (3-1)

4. Boyd Buchanan (3-0)

5. Tyner (3-0)

6. McKenzie (3-1)

7. Sullivan North (3-0)

8. Hampton (3-0)

9. Forrest (3-1)

10. Rockwood (3-1)

CLASS 1A

1. Union City (4-0)

2. Nashville Chr. (4-0)

3. Dresden (4-0)

4. Peabody (3-1)

5. Coalfield (4-0)

6. Huntingdon (3-0)

7. Wayne Co. (4-0)

8. Greenback (2-1)

9. Jo Byrns (4-0)

10. Columbia Academy (2-1)

Division II

1. Brentwood Academy (3-1)

2. MBA (4-0)

3. MUS (4-0)

4. Baylor (4-0)

5. Christian Brothers (3-0)

6. McCallie (2-2)

7. Ensworth (1-3)

8. BGA (3-0)

9. USJ (4-0)

10. Lausanne (3-0)

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Tyler Griffin

EAGLEVILLE — When Tyler Griffin entered Eagleville’s football program four years ago, he wasn’t the ideal picture of a standout defensive back.

He was 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds — max.

What you couldn’t measure, though, was his heart and determination to not only get on the football field but contribute for the Eagles.

“He was a tough kid even back then,” Eagleville coach Steve Carson said. “You could tell he wanted to play. He never missed a workout and a practice.”

“He’s been around for four years. I knew he would really help us this year, and he has helped us.”

Griffin, who is now 5-8 and 165 pounds, was named The Daily News Journal’s Football Player of the Week after intercepting three passes in the Eagles’ 17-0 win over Loretto on Friday night. The win evened Eagleville’s record to 2-2 entering Friday night’s game at Cascade.

“I’ve worked really hard to get where I am,” Griffin said. “It’s an amazing feeling. As soon as I came here, I knew I was really small.”

“I worked hard so that one day I could get out there on the field and make big plays and help this team. These guys are my brothers. I just worked hard to get to this point because I want us to win. At the end of the day, I want us to win games.”

Griffin’s interceptions help seal Eagleville win

Griffin, a senior cornerback, returned one interception 60 yards for a touchdown and had 128 total return yards in the win over Loretto to go along with four tackles and a forced fumble. Griffin now has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season.

In an offense that has struggled at times to find the end zone, Griffin leads an experience and talented secondary, which already has picked off seven passes this season. Teammate A.J. Garza, the Eagles’ other cornerback, has the other three interceptions.

Griffin said assistant Floyd Walker has been a big influence on him and the rest of the secondary.

“He’s been there for me for four years,” Griffin said. “He’s taught me everything I know now.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

MTCS’ Green makes big impact in opener
Taeler Dowdy carries load for Blackman Blaze
JaCoby Stevens is Oakland’s ‘playmaker’

DNJ Players of the Week

Week 1: Tanner Green, MTCS

Week 2: Taeler Dowdy, Blackman

Week 3: JaCoby Stevens, Oakland

Week 4: Tyler Griffin, Eagleville

Blackman’s Blake Taylor (10) leaps toward Chalkville’s Brandon Berry (1) for a tackle as Blacman’s Tony Ochoa (22) moves in for the assist during the first game of the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

Blackman senior safety Blake Taylor leads the Blaze with 33 tackles and two interceptions.

MURFREESBORO — Blake Taylor doesn’t have a secret to his success on the football field.

There is no special scheme installed by the Blackman defensive coaches. It just has seemed like it the past couple of weeks.

“I just try to put my team in the best position to win,” Taylor said. “Honestly, my teammates help get me in the best position to be able to make a play. If they weren’t doing what they are supposed to do, it would be hard for me to make those plays.”

Blackman (3-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 2-6A) plays at second-ranked Oakland (2-1, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Ray Hughes Stadium.

Taylor, a compact 5-foot-10, 170-pound safety, has been a defensive MVP for the fifth-ranked Blaze.

Taylor has done a little bit of everything in wins over rival Riverdale and Tucker, Georgia.

• He blocked a punt that led to a Conner Mitchell touchdown and forced a fumble against Riverdale in Week 3.
• He picked off two passes in a win over Tucker a week later.

“Blake has a lot of heart and character,” Blackman coach David Watson said. “He’s real smart and heady. He doesn’t really look the part when you look at his size, but he knows where to be.

“He’s kind of the quarterback of our defense.”

Armstrong, Dowdy run over Tucker

Taylor has been a magnet to the football thus far this season.

Taylor leads the team in tackles (33) and interceptions (two) this season.

“Blake has been big for our defense,” said senior running back Taeler Dowdy. “He does a little bit of everything. He makes a lot of tackles for us.”

Taylor became a starter late in the 2014 season. He’s only gotten better this year.

“I’ve never been the biggest player,” Taylor said. “I’m not easy to pick out of a crowd. But I just play with my heart and do what I can to help my team.”

Oakland is the third state-ranked team that Blackman has played this season. The Blaze have rattled off three wins since a 38-7 loss to nationally ranked Clay-Chalkville, Alabama.

Taylor said this year has been about proving critics wrong. Those doubts started after last year when Blackman graduated 10 of 11 starters on offense. The Blaze then went through a coaching change when Watson replaced Philip Shadowens, who resigned and accepted a position at William Blount.

“A lot of people were doubting us after we lost a great group of seniors last year,” Taylor said. “We knew it was going to be hard to bounce back.

“But we just bought into what coach Watson was telling us.”

Taylor said the Blaze have ignored any naysayers since the loss to Chalkville.

“We only believe what we tell each other,” he said. “We don’t pay attention to the outside noise.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Week 4 Games

(All games start at 7 p.m.)

Blackman at Oakland

Cookeville at Siegel

Riverdale at Coffee Co.

Warren Co. at Smyrna

Stewarts Creek at Columbia

Eagleville at Cascade

Shelbyville at La Vergne

Clay Co. at MTCS

York Institute at Cannon Co.

Oakland’s quarterback Brendon Matthews (10), grabs the snap during the Hoover at the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

Oakland’s quarterback Brendon Matthews (10), passes the ball off to Lazarius Patterson (4), during the Hoover at the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

Oakland’s quarterback Brendon Matthews (10), gets tackled by Hoover players at the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

Oakland’s quarterback Brendon Matthews (10), watches for direction from the coaches between plays of the Hoover at the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

Oakland quarterback Brendan Matthews carries the ball during the Patriots’ win over Siegel.

Oakland’s quarterback Brendon Matthews (10), talks with the head coach Kevin Creasy during the game against Hoover at the Middle Tennessee Classic at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015.

MURFREESBORO — Brendan Matthews arrived at Oakland during the summer and was immediately thrown into the biggest competition battle of the high school football preseason.

Entering five weeks into the season, Matthews has shown he is the unequivocal leader of the Patriots’ offense.

Matthews, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound quarterback, edged out Cody Miller for the starting role prior to the season opener against Hoover.

Despite a slow start against the perennial state-power Bucs to start the year, Matthews has settled in nicely for the second-ranked Patriots (2-1, 1-0 in Region 2-6A), who host fifth-ranked Blackman (3-1, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Ray Hughes Stadium.

He has completed 13-of-26 passes for 337 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. And with Miller’s recent decision to leave the Oakland program, Matthews’ role just got larger. He takes the largest percentage of snaps in practice.

Wanya Moton, who played the position some in the spring, also takes some snaps as he gets reacquainted with the position. Moton also is a receiver and defensive back for the Patriots.

“I feel pretty comfortable,” Matthews said. “We just have to go play and execute. If we do that, we should be OK.

“We’ve come down hard on (the passing game). We’ve worked hard on it.”

Matthews was a backup at Independence as a sophomore, completing 25-of-38 passes for 397 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He came to Oakland when his father, Mike Matthews, accepted an assistant coaching position at Oakland. He had been an assistant at Independence prior to coming to Oakland.

Brendan Matthews played in the spread at Independence, but had to adjust to the Wing-T at Oakland. That change has progressed.

He’s not afraid to keep the ball and run with it. And he’s a hard-nosed blocker when teammates have the ball behind him.

“Brendan is a good hard-nosed kid,” Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said. “He reminds me a little bit of the Blackman quarterback (Miller Armstrong). If we had a couple more quarterbacks, Brendan could be over there (on defense) playing linebacker.

“He’s that kind of kid. With that said, Brendan has been a great addition. We’re really pleased with how he’s playing.”

Creasy hasn’t asked Brendan Matthews to throw the ball much this season. The most attempts he’s had in a game is 10, in a win over Hillsboro. But he was 5-of-8 passing for 193 yards in a win over Siegel in Week 3.

Brendan Matthews has meshed quickly with standout receiver JaCoby Stevens. Stevens has 10 catches for 248 yards this season.

In practice earlier this week, he hit Stevens with pass after pass, including one play that started with a low snap that forced the quarterback to pick the ball up off the ground.

“We started out in 7-on-7 in the summer real slow,” Matthews said. “We didn’t practice very well. We just said one day to run everything full speed.”

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Kreager.

Week 5 Games

(All games start at 7 p.m.)

Blackman at Oakland*

Cookeville at Siegel

Riverdale at Coffee Co.

Warren Co. at Smyrna

Stewarts Creek at Columbia

Eagleville at Cascade

Shelbyville at La Vergne

Clay Co. at MTCS

York Institute at Cannon Co.**

*WGNS (1450-AM, 100.5-FM, 101.9-FM)

**WBRY (1540-AM, 96.7-FM)

Collegiate Football on the Field

Oakland beats Blaze with defense

MURFREESBORO — A showdown between the ’Boro’s best became an Oakland old-school defensive classic.

The second-ranked Patriots held Blackman under 200 yards and defeated the fifth-ranked Blaze 21-7 Friday night at Ray Hughes Stadium.

Oakland’s quarterback Brendon Matthews (10) runs the ball as Blackman’s Korey Tillman (48) starts to move in for the assistance with the tackle during the game at Oakland, on Friday Sept. 18, 2015.

The game was a rematch of last year’s Class 6A state quarterfinal, which was won by the Patriots. But it featured a pair of first-year coaches in Kevin Creasy at Oakland and David Watson at Blackman.

Oakland (3-1 overall, 2-0 in Region 2-6A) forced four turnovers and scored off one — a JaCoby Stevens 60-yard interception return — to put the game away. It was Stevens’ second pick of the game and third for the secondary.

Kaleb Oliver also had an interception off a deflected pass.

It was Oakland’s best performance under first-year defensive coordinator Steven Jackson, who came to Oakland from Trousdale County with Creasy in the offseason.

See Full Article

Week 5 Scores

Cookeville 50, Siegel 19 See Game Coverage

Eagleville 21, Cascade 14 See Game Coverage

MTCS 62, Clay County 16 See Game Coverage

Oakland 21, Blackman 7 See Game Coverage

Riverdale 21, Coffee County 20 See Game Coverage

Shelbyville 29, La Vergne 19 See Game Coverage

Smyrna 43, Warren County 0 See Game Coverage

Stewarts Creek 42, Columbia 27 See Game Coverage

York Institute 49, Cannon Co. 7

Jordan Middleton runs for yardage. The Stars finished with 251 yards of total offense, with 69 in the second half.

Greedy Howse (23) runs

Deontae Newsome (6) runs

Jordan Middleton was 17-of-32 passing for 135 yards.

Deontae Newsome (6) runs

Jordan Middleton gets ready for an option pitch

Jordan Middleton passes

MURFREESBORO — Siegel’s inability to stop the run kept its season-opening run of losses intact.

The Stars gave up 538 yards on the ground Friday night against Cookeville, including an incredible 345 yards by Cavaliers running back Vic Johnson, as they lost 50-19 at Homecoming at Ken Nolan Stadium.

Johnson’s total — which came on 28 carries and included four touchdowns — is believed to be a Cookeville school record.

The Stars came into the game having given up 1,574 rushing yards, and the Cavaliers continued that trend, averaging 9.4 yards per carry on 57 totes.

Siegel coach Greg Wyant declined to comment after the game.

“I’m gonna be honest with you — I’ve got nothing to say,” he said. “I don’t mean to be ugly, but I’m not in the mood to talk to you. I apologize for that.”

Siegel (0-5, 0-2 Region 2-6A) started well, reeling off an eight-play, 80-yard drive and going ahead 7-0 on a 9-yard touchdown run by Greedy Howse less than three minutes in.

But the Cavs (5-0, 2-0) answered with three consecutive touchdowns — a 3-yard run by Gabe Angel, and runs of 4 and 13 yards by Johnson for a 21-7 lead with 5:03 left in the second quarter.

Before the half was done, Johnson added a 2-yard touchdown run — sandwiched between field goals of 42 and 37 yards by Siegel’s Jacob Smith — to make it 28-13 at the break.

Johnson tacked on a 56-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and Angel invoked the mercy rule with scoring runs of 20 and 33 yards.

Siegel got its final points early in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Middleton to Dalton Wood.

The Cavaliers ended the scoring when Eric Tyler tackled Middleton in the end zone for a safety.

Angel finished with four carries for 66 yards and three touchdowns and added two catches for 19 yards.

The Stars finished with 251 yards of total offense, including just 69 in the second half. Middleton was 17-of-32 passing for 135 yards, while Howse led the ground game with nine totes for 72 yards.

Marcus Wilson caught five passes for 66 yards.

Fred Shambaugh

MURFREESBORO — A massive shift in offensive philosophy has given the MTCS Cougars (3-2) a new lease on life.

After dropping two consecutive region games while only averaging 10 points per game head coach Fred Shambaugh decided to a make a change.

His decision would pay off in a big way as the Cougars scored 43 points in the first half and raced past the Clay County Bulldogs (1-4) for a 62-16 victory.

Shambaugh was impressed with the effort and execution of his players with their new offense, “We just challenged the kids to do what they were supposed to. We had great effort last week, but not great execution. This week we had effort and execution.”

The Cougars almost exclusively worked out of a jumbo package that featured seven offensive linemen and no receivers. The result? Over 400 yards rushing and one of the most impressive offensive performances in school history.

The change was needed, according to Shambaugh, as his team’s offensive struggles were central factors of their two-game skid, “We just saw how we matched up with them (Clay Co.) on tape and thought it was the best. Plus we had turnover problems, and you can’t intercept the run.”

Running back Tanner Green and quarterback Joe Peck benefited greatly from the change combining for 330 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

The Cougar defense was also instrumental as two key fourth-down stops drastically changed the game. After closing the gap to 29-16, the Bulldogs threatened to make it a one-possession game before a fourth-down Seth Mackey pass sailed out of bounds.

Two plays later, Peck raced for a 91-yard touchdown, and the Cougars were firmly in control with a 35-16 lead.

Peck would throw the first of his two touchdown passes just before the half ended after the Cougars snuffed out a fake-punt attempt as well.

Peck’s contributions on offense and on defense as an outside linebacker garnered much praise from his coach. “We were having issues at outside linebacker, and honestly he’s a stud at outside backer. We needed him there tonight.”

The victory keeps the Cougars squarely in the playoff mix and capped off Homecoming week perfectly.

“Well it’s Homecoming week and a district game so this game was very crucial for us,” said a grinning Shambaugh.

La Vergne’s Drew Howard (6) tries to pick up yards in Friday’s loss to Shelbyville Central in a Region 5-5A contest.

La Vergne’s Nick Jones runs the ball for the Wolverines during Friday’s loss to Shelbyville.

LA VERGNE — The penalties were not abundant for La Vergne Friday night. They were untimely, however.

Shelbyville remained perfect on the year, spoiled Homecoming for the Wolverines and took the top spot in Region 5-5A from its hosts after a 29-21 victory Friday night.

Ten penalties for 54 yards halted and continued scoring drives for La Vergne, starting from its opening series that reached the 4-yard line to the Golden Eagles’ final points of the night on a drive that was aided by a defensive pass interference call.

“I dion’t think we ever got focused until late in the game,” Wolverins coach Stanton Stevens said. “We were out of sync all night, no real chemistry. Not a lot of penalties, we were just out of sync all night.”

The Wolverines (3-2, 2-1) opened with a drive to the Shelbyville (5-0, 2-0) 4 before two penalties and two incompletions stalled the series with a turnover on downs from the 15. La Vergne also failed on a fourth-down attempt on its second and third series.

It was a fourth down in between that turned the tide for Shelbyville.

Going for it on fourth-and-4 from the Wolverines’ 39, La Vergne jumped offsides for the free first down. Five plays later, the Golden Eagles were connecting on a Mason Cunningham 8-yard TD pass to Centa Muse.

Cunningham added a 2-yard TD run late in the second quarter on a drive that saw La Vergne hit with a facemask and an offisdes call.

“The penalty thing, it goes both ways. It just depends on when you get your break,” Cunningham said. “That’s the name of the game; you want to take advantage of other people’s mistakes. So when you can do that you’re going to have a pretty good shot to win.”

The Golden Eagles known for their big plays and big scores this season, as a team averaging 43.5 points per game coming in, used two big plays in the second half to keep the Wolverines at bay.

A 55-yard pass from Cunningham to Odarius Davis setup Michael Eddings’ 1-yard TD run, and Eddings’ own 59-yard run two drives later led to another score (9) from the senior running back. A horse-collar tackle and a defensive pass interference on the two drives led to Shelbyville first downs inside the 10.

Drew Howard replaced Keianthony Cooper under center for the second straight week and led La Vergne to a scoring drive on the final series of the first half, connecting with Maleik Gray for 4 yards.

The Wolverines added 14 points in the fourth quarter on a Nick Jones 23-yard scoring run and 13-yard screen pass catch and score from Howard to Jercarous Stephens.

Forcing Shelbyville to punt gave the Wolverines the ball back with 2:23 remaining and 80 yards to go, but eight plays produced four incompletions and a sack as the drive stalled at their own 45.

MANCHESTER — One minute and 22 seconds is all it took for Riverdale quarterback Brandon Bea to get his team in the end zone at the end of the first half.

That score turned out to be the game-winning score, as Riverdale defeated Coffee County 21-20 in its Region 2-6A game Friday.

Riverdale’s drive answered Coffee County’s drive which tied the game at 14-all. The Warriors executed the two-minute offense perfectly.

Bea completed a 37-yard pass to Gentry Bonds and followed that with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Cantrell with 1:19 left in the half.

“Thank God for my receivers catching the ball and my O-line blocking,” said Bea. “I put it to my receivers. Big players make plays. I have the arm, and they run the routes. If they catch it, it’s a blessing.”

Bea came into the game after Riverdale starting quarterback Marqwell Odom sustained a shoulder injury making a tackle on Coffee County’s first offensive series. Odom didn’t return to the game after the injury.

Bea completed 11 of 18 passes in the game for 179 yards.

Before Riverdale’s quick score, the Raiders drove 62 yards in 5:44, converting two fourth downs along the way. On fourth-and-inches from the 2, quarterback Alontae Taylor dragged two Riverdale players with him into the end zone to score with 2:41 left in the half.

The Raiders (2-3, 0-2) continually drove downfield with misdirection running plays and sweeps.

They scored on their first possession of the second half to make it 21-20 but missed the extra point.

The Raiders had a chance to score on a 42-yard field goal with 1:36 left, but Boone Riddle’s attempt was short.

The Warriors (3-2, 1-1) scored all of their point in the second quarter.

Bea threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to John Neal to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:00 left in the second quarter.

After Canaan Owens intercepted a Taylor pass attempt and took it back to the 43, the Warriors struck again. Austin Bryant scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 9:55 left in the second quarter.

“We stunk it up the second half,” said coach Ron Aydelott. “We didn’t finish drives. We’re going to have to go back to work and try to get better.”

Casey Perkins, #5, and Trent Westover, #14, celebrate after one of Perkins two first half touchdowns.

Kevin Sims, #31, takes a handoff from quarterback John Turner and runs for a touchdown.

Casey Perkins (5) finds a hole and a path to the end zone.

SMYRNA — Casey Perkins rushed six times for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and Smyrna scored five times in the second quarter en route to a 43-0 victory over Warren County Friday night at Robert L. Raikes Stadium.

Ikenna Okeke caught four passes for 71 yards and one score and added a 64-yard punt return for a TD in the third quarter.

John Turner completed 13 of 17 passes for 133 yards and one TD while Perkins caught three passes for 38 yards. Smyrna (4-1) piled up 330 yards of offense compared to just 147 for the Pioneers (0-5).

“We were a little sluggish in the first quarter. It took us time to adjust, but once we did we were clicking on all cylinders,” Smyrna head coach Matt Williams said. “They gave us some exotic looks. I thought the offensive line adjusted well to some things we hadn’t seen on film. Then I thought we did a good job throwing the ball when we had to.”

Smyrna posted 197 yards of offense in the second quarter alone, scoring five times to blow the game open.

The Bulldogs took advantage of a fumble by Pioneers running back Raleigh Woods late in the first quarter at the WC34. Two runs from AJ Carter and a completion to Jordan Jones setup an 11-yard TD run by Perkins on the first play of the second quarter.

Perkins carried 49 yards around the left side, outrunning several defenders down the sideline on the second play of the next SHS drive, giving the home team a 14-0 advantage.

Turner found Okeke for a third down completion Devin Sims rushed 31 yards up the middle on the next play for the score and a 22-0 lead.

On the ensuing WCHS possession, Isaiah Grayson’s pass was intercepted by Ian Cleveland, who broke a tackle and raced 48 yards for the touchdown with 4:12 to play in the half.

The Bulldogs used their timeouts to get one more chance before intermission and made it count, with Turner completing a pair of passes for Perkins and another to Okeke.

Turner and Okeke hooked up again down the sideline for a 45-yard scoring strike and the PAT gave Smyrna a 36-0 advantage at the break.