Crucial clash
Mavericks, Eagles face off in battle for region title
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Anderson County’s Trent Strickland (19) was “Mr. Excite- ment” in the Mavericks’ Thursday night game against the Knoxville West Rebels. Strickland had three receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown, a pick-six, four punts for 96 yards, and three kick returns for 32 yards. - Tony Cox
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Anderson County quarterback Landen Hensley was calm and effective in the pocket on Thursday night. The senior was 19 of 30 for 279 yards, three touchdowns and one inter- ception. - Tony Cox
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Anderson County’s Waylon LaRue (2) had 92 all-purpose yards against the West High Rebels last Thursday night. - Tony Cox
Coming off its first loss of the 2024 season in a regionally televised Rivalry Thursday game, Anderson County High School’s football team will look to bounce back this week in its most important game of the season.
The Mavericks (6-1 overall, 3-0 in Region 2-4A play) will continue their two-game road trip when they head to Corryton in Northeast Knox County to take on Gibbs (8-0, 3-0).
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Ernest Whited Stadium. The region title is on the line when the Mavericks and the Eagles collide in Week 10 of the Tennessee high school football season.
The Mavs enter the game as the seven-time defending region champions. ACHS has also won its last 43 league games.
Gibbs will look to dethrone the top program in the region since 2017, and ACHS Coach Davey Gillum knows his team will face a hearty challenge from the Eagles.
“There are several veteran teams in our region, headed by Gibbs, which has one of its best teams in recent history,” Gillum said after his team extended its region winning streak to 40 games by beating Fulton in its league opener in September.
ACHS has since posted league victories over Seymour and Carter, setting the stage for Friday night’s showdown.
The Mavericks won’t be in the best of moods after losing to two-time defending Class 5A state champion Knoxville West, 30-27, on a late field goal by the Rebels’ Pete Rogers at Bill Wilson Field in Knoxville’s Marble City community. It was the second-consecutive classic game between two of East Tennessee’s powerhouse programs.
West, which won last year’s meeting 8-7 at the Bullring in Clinton, darted out to a 17-0 advantage before ACHS scored 27 consecutive points to take a 27-17 lead. The Rebels, however, scored the final 13 points of the contest, including Rogers’ game-winning 37-yard kick with 37 seconds left. Rogers had three field goals against the Mavs, also converting from 33 and 21 yards.
Facing an early deficit, Trent Strickland almost single-handedly brought his team back into the game. He scored two touchdowns in the final 55 seconds of the half.
Strickland caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Landen Hensley, making a brilliant one-handed grab with less than a minute before halftime. He then returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half.
Anderson County continued to build momentum in the third quarter as Hensley threw a pair of 26-yard touchdown passes. His first touchdown went to running back Waylon LaRue, giving the Mavs the lead. He extended the lead to 27-17 when he connected with Riley Wolfenbarger.
The Rebels scored 13 points in the final 12 minutes as Rogers made two field goals and Messiah Wrenn broke loose for a 54-yard touchdown run.
On their final possession, the Mavericks drove into West territory, but time expired after four incomplete passes from the Rebels’ 41-yard line.