Mavericks roll past Northview 56-7
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Anderson County’s Israel Small had three receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the Mavericks’ first- round TSSAA playoff game on Friday, Nov. 8. The Mavericks will face Elizabethton at home in the second round of the playoffs on Friday night. - Dwane Wilder
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Anderson County’s Trent Strickland makes an acrobatic catch for a touchdown during last Friday’s first-round state playoff game against Northview Academy. The Mav- ericks won 56-7 and advanced to the second round. - Dwane Wilder
Coming off its eighth-consecutive region championship, the Anderson County High School football team had little trouble in its Class 4A first-round playoff game.
The Mavericks opened a big early lead and cruised to a 56-7 victory over Northview Academy Friday night at ACHS.
As the final score indicated, it was a dominant performance for Anderson County, which improved to 9-1 on the season.
The Mavericks suffered their only loss of the 2024 campaign in a 30-27 defeat by Knoxville West, but wasted no time taking command against the Cougars (5-6).
The Mavs’ defense set the tone early, holding Northview on downs during its first possession.
Anderson County took over at its own 47-yard line and scored shortly after on a 2-yard run by senior running back Waylon LaRue. Jackson Payne added the extra point to give the Mavericks a 7-0 lead.
The Cougars lost a fumble at their own 21-yard line, and Anderson County scored a short time later when quarterback Landen Hensley connected with Trent Strickland, extending the lead to 14-0.
Northview, the No. 4 seed from Region 1-4A, scored its lone touchdown of the game with nine seconds remaining in the first quarter.
But Hensley and the Mavericks quickly responded.
Hensley threw three touchdown passes on Anderson County’s next three possessions.
Israel Small caught two of those scoring passes, and Hensley’s last touchdown pass of the night went to Strickland, making it 35-7 with 4:57 remaining in the second quarter.
Hensley, along with the rest of the Mavericks’ starters, didn’t return to the field after halftime.
Hensley completed 12 of 15 passes for 249 yards and threw four touchdown passes.
LaRue, a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football semifinalist, added two more rushing touchdowns before the end of the first half, giving the Mavericks a 49-7 lead at halftime.
He finished with 131 rushing yards and three touchdowns on eight carries. He added four receptions for 38 yards.
Small had three receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Strickland had two catches for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
With a running clock in the second half, the Mavs scored on their first possession of the third quarter with a touchdown pass from Cody Miller to Zach Happney.
Next up, Anderson County will host Elizabethton in the second round of the playoffs this week.
The Cyclones, who enter with a 7-3 record, defeated Fulton 14-13 in the first round.
The Mavericks eliminated the Cyclones from the playoffs last season.