Fourth quarter begins
Mavs shifts focus from Tornadoes; postseason battle awaits at Seymour
Anderson County wide receiver Riley Miller (15) turns upfield after hauling in a pass on the Mavericks’ opening drive against Alcoa on Friday night. Miller picks up a first down and additional yardage as he races past a Tornadoes defender. (photo:Tony Cox )
But the early momentum didn’t last as the state’s top-ranked and unbeaten Class 4A Tornadoes rolled to a 49-14 win.
Anderson County (7-3), the No. 3 seed from Region 2-4A, will travel to face Region 1-4A runner-up Seymour (9-1) in the opening round of the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.
Both Anderson County touchdowns came from junior running back Cayson Kurriger out of the Wildcat formation. Kurriger scored on runs of 2 yards and 1 yard, both around the left side. Kicker Eli Ledford converted both extra points.
“(Quarterback) Brayden Sharpe put the ball in position, and (receiver) Jaxon Price had an amazing game,” Anderson County head Coach Davey Gillum said.
Price finished with four receptions for 68 yards, while Riley Miller added three catches for 75 yards.
“He went up and went over two or three Alcoa players a couple of times to get the ball,” Gillum said of Price. “And Riley Miller had a huge game, made a lot of plays, did some impressive things. Brayden did a good job of extending plays and giving us a chance.”
Gillum said Alcoa’s defensive approach limited the Mavericks’ rushing attack.
“Our running backs ran hard (Kurriger and Lane LaRue). Alcoa kind of loaded the box and made it hard to run. And that made us a little bit one-dimensional. It’s hard to beat a team like that.”
Gillum credited the Tornadoes for their overwhelming combination of size, speed and execution.
“They’re a really good team, probably as good and complete of a team as I’ve seen in a long time, if not ever,” he said. “They’re huge up front on both sides of the ball. Really good athletes, big running backs, huge tight ends, just a really good football team. Well coached, disciplined, physical.”
Despite the lopsided final score, Gillum believed his Mavericks competed physically against one of the state’s premier programs.
“I thought physically we held our own with them. Just a team at that level, your smallest mistakes turn into big plays,” he said.
“If we didn’t get lined up right, they turned into long touchdown runs. That was kind of the name of the game, really, defensively.”
Alcoa also capitalized on mistakes in the secondary, including a double move and a blown coverage.
Anderson County missed an opportunity to make the final score more respectable when a promising drive unraveled near the goal line.
“We had our chances to keep it closer,” Gillum said. “Got down first and goal on the 1 and had an errant snap, went about 20 yards over our quarterback’s head. That wouldn’t have changed the outcome, it would just have made it a little closer.”
Gillum believes facing Alcoa could benefit the Mavericks as they enter postseason play.
“I thought we did some things that are gonna work for us heading into the playoffs here as far as toughness and playing that level of talent,” he said.
The Mavericks now turn their attention to Seymour, which enters the playoffs with a 9-1 record and plenty of confidence.
“They’ve had a great year,” Gillum said. “Coach (Caleb Olive) is doing a good job. They got some good players over there right now. They’re playing hard and playing tough and playing sound football.
“When you only lose one game, it builds a lot of confidence. That goes a long way too. So you’re going to have to knock that out of them.”
Gillum believes Anderson County’s demanding regular-season schedule has prepared his team for the challenges of postseason football.
“We’re definitely more battle-tested, but there’s a lot of bumps and bruises that come with being battle-tested,” he said. “And, you know, it tests your confidence and mental toughness too.”
The Mavericks also could receive a significant boost with the expected return of sophomore quarterback JD Gillum, a highly regarded college prospect who has missed several games while recovering from a knee injury.
“JD’s healthy enough to play close to his top level,” coach Gillum said.
In his absence, Sharpe has stepped into the starting role.
“Brayden’s done as good as we could ever ask,” Gillum said. “We’ve been very pleased with him and proud of him, and he’s given us a fighting chance.”
The playoff appearance marks another milestone for the Anderson County football program.
“This will be our program’s 31st trip to the football playoffs in our brief history; not many schools can say that — and 10th in a row,” Anderson County athletic director and assistant football coach Gary Terry said.