Mavs are searching for a ‘V’
Anderson County quarterback Zae Hall gets off a pass Friday night against Science Hill, thanks in part to good pass-blocking from Ty Murphy (57) and Connor Isabell (78). (photo:Ricky Williams )
The Mavericks, who went 15-0 in 2022 on their way to capturing the program’s first-ever state title, have dropped their first two games out of the gate this year.
They lost their home opener against Science Hill Friday night, falling 26-23 to the Hilltoppers, marking the first time ACHS has started 0-2 since 2021.
Science Hill (1-1) notched its first win of the new campaign as it made several key third- and fourth-down conversions and kept Anderson County’s defense on the field for prolonged drives.
“We couldn’t get off the field on third and fourth down,” ACHS Coach Davey Gillum said. “They have some great athletes. Their quarterback is a great athlete and he made some big plays.
“We struggled against them,” he said. “I’m happy with our effort. There’s not a kid out here that didn’t play hard. But our execution is not good. It’s not good anywhere.”
Despite enduring their share of struggles all night against the Hilltoppers, the Mavs made this a competitive contest and took an early lead when senior Josh Valero kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8 minutes, 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter to culminate Anderson County’s first drive.
On the Mavs’ second possession, the Hilltoppers forced an Anderson County punt. But the Science Hill returner muffed the ball and freshman Zach Hapney recovered for the Mavericks deep in Science Hill territory with 2:17 left in the opening frame.
Anderson County, however, squandered its opportunity to take a possible two-score advantage when Science Hill picked off ACHS quarterback Zae Hall.
The Hilltoppers got on the board early in the second stanza on a 49-yard run by Baylor Necessary.
The extra point followed to give the visitors a 7-3 lead, starting a rollercoaster ride that finally ended when Science Hill stopped the Mavs’ final drive on this sultry night.
The Hilltoppers scored what was eventually the game-winning touchdown with four minutes to go in the contest.
Quarterback Jaysahn Swartz connected with Emmett Watson on a long scoring strike to make it 26-23 before ACHS’s Logan Crumpley blocked the ensuing PAT.
“We had some big plays on special teams,” Gillum said. “Zach Hapney, a freshman, recovered that fumble on a punt, and it didn’t really turn out to matter, but we had that blocked extra point.”
After Science Hill took its first lead of the game, Anderson County answered on a 3-yard plunge to make the score 10-7 midway through the second stanza.
The Hilltoppers regained the lead just before halftime on a 3-yard run by Necessary with 11 seconds left before the break.
The Mavericks regained the upper hand early in the third quarter when Hall threw a 19-yard pass to Trent Strickland after ACHS recovered a Hilltopper fumble, making the score 17-14.
It didn’t take long, however, for Science Hill to retake the lead as Jaevon Emile scored on a 52-yard scamper. The Hilltoppers missed the PAT, so the score remained 20-17.
The Mavericks took their final lead of the night when LaRue scored on a 3-yard run late in the third quarter, going up 23-20 with 2:51 left in the frame.
Next up: Anderson County heads to West Knoxville to face Bearden at Bill Young Field.
Like the Mavericks, the Bulldogs are 0-2.
Bearden, which will play its third-consecutive defending state champ, has lost its first two games of the season by a combined eight points, falling to Knoxville West, 14-10, and Alcoa, 17-13.