Sharpe shoots down Seymour

Mavs ride four second-quarter TD passes to playoff victory

November 11, 2026 by Alan Sloan

After trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, Anderson County kicked into high gear, erupting for 28 second-quarter points to take control of its TSSAA Division I-Class 4A opening-round playoff game and knock off host Seymour 35-3 Friday night, Nov. 6.

Although Mavericks star sophomore quarterback JD Gillum aggravated a recurring injury and had to leave the game early, backup Brayden Sharpe piloted his team to four touchdowns in the second quarter as the Mavs broke the game open.

Gillum’s status for the second-round playoff game at Red Bank on Friday, Nov. 13, remains uncertain. ACHS Coach Davey Gillum, JD’s father, listed his son as “questionable” for the game, which kicks off at 7 p.m.

The No. 3-seeded Mavericks improved to 7-4 overall.

“It was a good game for us overall,” coach Gillum said as the Eagles ended their season at 9-2. “Offense played well, defense played well. I think the big thing was the O-line and D-line really dominated the game on both sides. We were able to run the ball. I wouldn’t say at will, but with each play and each drive, it got easier and easier just taking control of the game.

“And the running backs ran really hard. Lane (LaRue) had a big night,” the Mavericks coach added. “Cayson Carriger was having a good night until he got injured, and then Elijah Johnson came in, got some reps. Maddox Tackett got some reps. Receivers made plays.

“And the O-line blocked really well too on the perimeter in the run game and in the screen game,” Gillum said. “We had a lot of big plays in the screen game, some sweep screens where the receivers just really made it look like punt return ball a couple of times. Turned into sizable touchdowns and really just a pretty good overall team win on both sides of the ball.”

“D-line and the linebackers on defense were really awesome. Made it easy on defense. They struggled to block us and get back to the line of scrimmage and allowed us to play coverage on the back end and take away all their easy throws.”

“That whole O-line was awesome, led again by Vance Young and Karnell Mills, and then Trenton Engel had a good night. He’s our center, no bad snaps. Cayden Chipman, he plays guard and had a really good night. Boone Carlyle played right tackle. Boone came in for an injury about four weeks ago and has, I think, taken every snap since.

“And then we bring in big Porter Bostic, freshman, 6-foot-5, 305 (pounds), and let him play some H-back and just let him hammer some of their D-line and linebackers. And that starts wearing on people.

“And then the defense, Vance and Karnell and Porter really dominated up front, and Kaeson Landon had a great game at defensive end. Lyric Jackson, defensive end, he’s a big athletic kid and, yeah, he really wears them out too.

“Then we had Hunter Wade at linebacker, Jack Davis at linebacker, Lane LaRue, all those guys were really good last night.”

After Seymour took a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter on a 24-yard field goal, the Mavericks responded with a second-quarter scoring barrage.

Sharpe connected with LaRue for a 33-yard touchdown pass to put Anderson County ahead 7-3.

A few minutes later, Sharpe found Jaxon Price for a 2-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-3.

Sharpe struck again, connecting with LaRue on a 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-3.

With just 21 seconds remaining in the first half, Sharpe delivered his fourth touchdown pass of the quarter, finding Elijah Johnson for a 23-yard score that gave the Mavericks a commanding 28-3 halftime lead.

LaRue, a senior running back and linebacker, capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Elijah Ledford converted all five extra-point attempts.

Red Bank up next

Anderson County now turns its attention to Red Bank, the No. 1 seed from Region 4-4A, which enters Friday’s second-round matchup with a 5-5 record.

“Well, I’ve watched them for the last week or so — at this point you’re always trying to get ahead,” Gillum said. “You get your homework done for this week and then go to the next one.”

The Lions present a different challenge from Seymour.

“A totally different style than Seymour,” Gillum said. “A lot of athletes, a lot of speed, a lot of man-to-man type stuff on defense, a lot of pressure bringing people.

“So, you know, we’ll have to be able to run the ball and go right at them, and we’ll have to be physical and just make sure we get bodies on people.”

Gillum expects a different kind of battle against the speedy Lions.

“Seymour was tough and fairly structured and disciplined, but not overly athletic,” he said. “This team will be just the opposite, a little smaller but extremely fast and aggressive too.”