Anderson County stays undefeated in ’24
Rivalry Friday part deux
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Anderson County’s Waylon LaRue continued his high-roller streak on Friday night against the Dragons. LaRue carried the ball 19 times for 240 yards, averag- ing 12.63 yards per carry. He also had three rushing touchdowns. - Dwayne Wilder
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Anderson County quarterback Landon Hensley was 11- 13 for 195 yards and three touchdowns for the night. - Dwayne Wilder
A resounding non-region victory in a rivalry showdown helped the Anderson County High School football team keep its perfect record intact last week.
The Mavericks raced to a fast start, capturing a 40-7 victory over Clinton on Friday night at ACHS, scoring 19 points in the first quarter and never looking back.
Anderson County Coach Davey Gillum said he was pleased to see his team start strong against the Dragons (2-5).
“It’s always huge to get off to a good start against a hometown rival,” Gillum said. “Momentum is always a key element in how the game is played, especially in rivalry games. If you don’t get off to a fast start, and allow your opponent to, these rivalry games can go the other way quickly.”
Senior running back Waylon LaRue ensured that the Mavericks (6-0) grabbed the upper hand early, scoring two touchdowns in less than five minutes to give Anderson County a 13-0 advantage with 7:03 remaining in the opening frame. His early touchdown runs came from 11 and 67 yards out.
Anderson County extended the lead to 19-0 when Landen Hensley connected with Evan Pyatt on a 49-yard scoring strike with 2:11 left in the first quarter.
Clinton scored its lone touchdown in the second quarter when Jaylon Benjamin hit Bryson Maddox with a 30-yard pass midway through the period.
After that, Anderson County’s defense clamped down on the Dragons, who managed just 74 rushing yards. Benjamin finished 18-of-34 for 165 yards with a touchdown, but threw two interceptions.
“The defense played really well overall,” Gillum said. “They have a talented group on offense, led by Maddox. He is one of the more dangerous one-on-one receivers we’ve faced in a long time, and we had to double him most of the game. That kept us a little light in the box for the run game, but the defense came up big on third-and-short and fourth-and-short situations.”
LaRue, who torched Clinton’s defense for 240 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, added a 7-yard scoring run in the second quarter to give the Mavericks a 26-7 halftime lead.
Hensley capped the scoring with two third-quarter touchdown passes, hitting Israel Small on an 8-yard play and connecting with Pyatt again for a 43-yard touchdown.
Hensley completed 11 of 13 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Pyatt had three receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Next up for the Mavericks: Anderson County has an open date this week before traveling to Knoxville to face two-time defending Class 5A state champion Knoxville West on Oct. 18.