The ‘boys’ get it done
Mavs take another — sixth straight — region title
Anderson County’s Andrew Meier (16) Nick Moog (18) and Graycen Bradshaw converge on a Gibbs fumble in the second quarter of Thursday night’s Region 2-4A game at ACHS. (photo:Ken Leinart )
Almost business as usual, but that will wait.
The Mavs (8-0, 4-0 in Region 2) captured the Region 2-4A regular season crown with a 55-24 dismantling of the Gibbs Eagles (4-3, 2-1 in Region 2) Thursday night
With one region game left, Oct. 28 at Scott High, the Mavs could be undefeated in region play for six straight years with a win at Huntsville.
The only thing un-Maverick Thursday night were some early tackling woes.
“We didn’t tackle very well tonight,” Anderson County Head Football Coach Davey Gillum said.
Eagle quarterback Bryson Palmer was responsible for a couple of early Mav missed tackles in the opening drive of the game, busting off a 60-yard run to set up the first score of the game — a 37-yard field goal to give the visitors an early 3-0 lead at the 10:35 mark in the first canto.
Then the Mavs just sorta took over.
“As the game goes on it’s like a chess match,” Gillum said. “You get comfortable … Get comfortable with what they’re doing.
“And we have the pieces to attack. It’s not like I’m, ‘This is what I’d like to do, but I can’t.’ It’s me figuring out what has to be done.
“And the boys can get it done,” he said.
The first half was tight. It was a “you score, we score” affair.
Using the Mav standard of run and pass, Anderson County went 67 yards to take the lead on a Nick Moog TD with 7:30 to play in the first quarter.
The Mavs defense again faced some missed tackles, but got the ball back at their own 19 yard line with 1:26 showing in the first.
The Eagles gained yardage mostly on the guile of Palmer, who, when pressured — ran. And when not pressured, connected on enough passes to move the ball.
“That quarterback is a good player,” Gillum said. “I mean, he’s good.”
But the Mavs have their own quarterback — a 2022 Mr. Quarterback hopeful — in Walker Martinez.
After a multi-quarter, 12-play drive, Martinez connected with uber-talent Bryson Vowell for a 29-yard strike.
With 10:18 to play in the half, the Mavs led 13-3 after usually-reliable Chris Nelson’s PAT was judged wide right.
Palmer struck again — this time a catch and run, and the Eagles climbed back into the race at 13-10 with 8:09 left in the half.
Anderson County answered.
A quick six-play drive that took less than two minutes off the clock.
It was helped by a couple of punishing runs from Moog and Gavin Noe, topped by a 12-yard Moog TD romp.
With 6:34 to play in the half, Anderson had a somewhat comfortable lead of 20-10.
The Eagles would not go away. After a turnover, Gibbs jumped back into the fray and notched a 50-yard score on a catch and run to make it a 20-17 game with 4:34 left in the half.
And then the Mavs started separating the wheat from the chaff.
The offensive line started taking control. Anderson County ran the ball and ate clock.
And in that mix, the Mavs found the chess move they were looking for.
Martinez found Eli Braden wide open — as in the nearest person was in the concession stand waiting for a soda — and with 1:59 left in the first half, Anderson County went up 27-17 after Nelson’s PAT.
To prove their point, the Mavs got the ball back and Martinez and Barden Miller carved the Eagle secondary for a 50-yard gain and then Martinez went to Miller, again, for a 10-yard TD with 16.8 seconds left in the half and a 34-17 lead.
Anderson County wasted no time to start the second half.
Another Martinez to Eli Braden pass — taking less than two minutes — pumped the score to 44-17 after the PAT.
After a turnover on downs, Martinez hit Vowell for a 45-yard score on the first play, and it was 48-17 after the PAT and there was still 4:03 left in the third quarter.
The Mavs kept the continual clock rolling with an 18-yard score from Martinez to Vowell — who pulled the catch in one-handed — to put the score at 55-17 with 10:20 to play.
The Eagles notched a junior varsity score for the final outcome for the final 55-24 tally.
The Mavs have a week off before hosting Bearden High of Knoxville on Oct. 21.
It’s a non-region tilt against a 6A powerhouse, but still …
“It’s huge,” Gillum said. “It’s an opportunity for us to play a 6A power that’s good in every way, O-line, D-line, coaching, the who shebang, and one of the better 6A schools in Tennessee right now and they’re getting better every week.
“It’s going to be a big test for us, and honestly, for our program, if are to complete, that will really say a lot about the season we’ve had. That’d be the cherry on top for this year.
“They boys have had a great year, but man, we’d like to get that one,” Gillum said.