Jefferson Middle beats CAK in football opener
The 2024 middle school football season just completed its first week, and already, Jefferson has equaled its win total from last season.
The Eagles won their season opener Thursday night, defeating Christian Academy of Knoxville 8-7 at Warrior Stadium in Knoxville.
It took some late-game heroics. The Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference contest wasn’t decided until Amari Bishop scored a two-point conversion with 0.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Bishop also scored Jefferson’s lone touchdown of the game when he found the end zone on a 10-yard scoring scamper that pulled the Eagles to within one run, at 7-6.
The game-winning play culminated a long drive that consumed more than five minutes, covered 72 yards, and came just after the Warriors took the lead.
Landon Hunley recovered a JMS fumble in the end zone after a sack by Jack Elliott with 5 minutes, 3 seconds remaining in the final frame.
The Eagles, who also defeated the Warriors last season, had their share of offensive struggles throughout the contest as they committed multiple penalties.
Jefferson also surrendered some big plays to CAK, which lost its ninth-consecutive game, dating to 2023.
But Jefferson’s defense made the stops it needed to make. The Eagles also came up with four turnovers.
Seventh-grader Brandon Zamora and Judah Holman each came up with an interception, while Luke Jackson and Landon Thurlow each recovered a CAK fumble.
Holman’s interception came in the red zone.
Jefferson took the ball at its own 5-yard line with 6:31 left in the game before the Warriors made their big defensive play after the two teams slugged through a scoreless stalemate through the first three quarters.
Eagles Coach Rodney Ellison was obviously pleased after his young squad nabbed a comeback victory.
“It was the first game, and both teams made mistakes,” Ellison said. “But I was really happy with the way our kids battled and came back after we gave up that touchdown.
“You could tell it was the first game, but I was really pleased with our effort,” he said. “Hat’s off to our kids for battling and winning the game.”
The Eagles face another road test when they travel to Fort Loudoun Thursday. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.
Hawks drop opener to Spring City
Despite seeing his young team endure a rough opening night, second-year Clinton Middle School football Coach Eric Woodard kept things in their proper place.
“I think this was good for us because we found out just where we’re at right now, and we found out where we need to get to,” Woodard said after the Hawks came up on the short end of a 36-6 decision at home against Spring City Thursday in the season opener.
“It was our first game, and I think we need to be more physical and more aggressive,” the coach said.
“It was a tough night, but I was okay with the effort, and our next game will be better prepared because we will have a film.
“Since it was the first game, nobody had any film on anybody.”
The Hawks will hit the road for the first time in 2024 when they head to Loudon County to take on Lenoir City Thursday night.
Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.