Norris looks to regain rhythm
The Norris Middle School football team hit its first speed bump of the young season last week, but the Senators won’t have to wait long for a chance to get back on track.
Norris fell 28-14 Thursday night to Lenoir City in a Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference matchup.
The Senators (1-1 overall, 1-1 in the TVAC) struggled to find the rhythm that carried them to a season-opening victory over Robertsville, as mistakes on both sides of the ball proved costly.
“We sort of lost our identity,” Norris Coach Richie Noe said. “We played the complete opposite ballgame than we played the week before. We had mental mistakes in our offensive and defensive alignment and responsibilities.
“And we turned the ball over a little bit.”
Despite the struggles, Lucas Eubanks provided a pair of explosive plays for the Senators, breaking loose for touchdown runs of 70 and 65 yards. Bryce Hicks added a two-point conversion for Norris.
Noe said Eubanks, Jaxon Barrett and Logan Lambert also turned in solid performances on defense.
The Senators must now turn the page as they prepare to host Christian Academy of Knoxville on Saturday at 10 a.m. The Warriors are one of the conference’s most-improved teams.
“Hopefully, we can bounce back this week against a really good CAK team,” Noe said.
CAK will come to Norris with some momentum of its own.
The Warriors rallied to nab a 20-13 victory over Jefferson on Thursday night in West Knoxville.