End of the road
Scott led with four minutes remaining, but heartbreak in Sweetwater brought the Highlanders' season to an end
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Scott’s season ends with nail-biting loss at Sweetwater
SWEETWATER, Tenn. | Sweetwater scored a touchdown with just under four minutes remaining to take the lead, then added a security score on a pick-six to score a 38-25 win over Scott High here Thursday night, punching its ticket to the TSSAA Class 3A playoffs and ending the Highlanders’ season.
The final score, 38-25, did not tell the story of the game, however. Up 17-7 late in the second quarter, Sweetwater had two opportunities to score what might have been a back-breaking touchdown — once at the end of the first half, and once at the start of the second half. Both times, the Highlander defense got stops, which sparked a sterling comeback that saw Scott High eventually grab a 25-24 lead in the fourth quarter.
But the last hurrah belonged to Sweetwater, which was able to answer Scott’s final touchdown with a seven-play, 66-yard scoring drive to regain the lead, then turned in the biggest defensive play of the night on a desperation fourth down by the Highlanders with a pick-six from midfield.
Scott High finished with 466 yards of total offense — a season high — and Sweetwater had 357. Scott ground out 351 rushing yards and had two players top 100 yards — a first in recent program history.
On a night when the Highlanders would see 15 seniors play their last game, all of them contributing in major roles this season, several of them stepped up individually at critical times in the game.
In the first half, when Sweetwater’s stout defense was able to bottle up Scott High’s preferred approach to running the football with Michael Bond, it was senior Micah Boles who came through big to keep his team in the game. Normally a free safety, but having played quarterback earlier in his career, Boles entered the game on offense in the wildcat formation, and finished with 133 yards on nine carries, a career high. He had a 72-yard touchdown run for Scott’s only score of the first half.
In the second half, momentum began to swing when senior linebacker Braden Burchfield made a series of big plays. He finished as the Highlanders’ leading tackler. Other seniors who came up big on defense included strong safety Brett Hall.
Then Bond, another of the seniors, found a rhythm. He had more than 100 rushing yards in the second half, finishing with 112 yards on 21 carries, and topped 1,000 rushing yards for the season — becoming the first Highlander to surpass that benchmark in more than a decade.
Along the way, the Highlanders were able to overcome a series of clearly missed calls by the officials. On Sweetwater’s final possession of the first half, when it appeared the Wildcats might be able to end the competitive phase of the game, senior cornerback Keegan Bowling made a big hit on a receiver that was incorrectly flagged as a personal foul, despite being a legal hit. Moments later, Sweetwater quarterback Nolan Dacus threw the ball out of bounds to avoid a sack by defensive end Braxton Potter, leaving the Highlander sideline pleading for an intentional grounding penalty that would not come.
In the second half, after Scott had trimmed Sweetwater’s lead, the Wildcats scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Dacus to Jeremiah Paris after Dacus was clearly past the line of scrimmage, but was not flagged for an illegal forward pass.
Still later, senior linebacker Desmond Bowling made a stop at the line of scrimmage, but the ball was inexplicably placed two yards further up the field.
Nevertheless, the resurgent Highlanders battled back to take the lead. Lucas Newport scored on an 18-yard run to make it 17-13. Then, after the illegal forward pass that was counted as a score to give Sweetwater a 24-13 lead, the Highlanders scored on a 17-yard run by Bond to make it 24-19. Later, quarterback Gage Privett scored on a 10-yard run to give the Highlanders their first lead of the night, 25-24.
But Sweetwater was able to respond with a touchdown drive that saw Dacus score on a 15-yard run to give his team the lead back.
Facing a second-and-seven at midfield, the Highlanders wound up behind the sticks with a procedural penalty that made it second-and-12, forcing them to go to the air. On fourth down, Gus Campbell stepped in front of a short pass and returned it for a touchdown to cement the win.
Scott High’s season ended with a record of 6-4, marking the school’s first winning season since 2016. It came on the heels of a three-year stretch that saw the Highlanders win only three games combined in 2022, 2023 and 2024. It was a season that also saw the Highlanders take state-ranked and eventual region champion Meigs County to the wire at Highlander Stadium before losing 23-17.
Game Capsule
First National Bank Player of the Game: Senior linebacker Braden Burchfield and senior runningback Michael Bond were named co-players of the game after their efforts on either side of the ball to flip the momentum in the second half. Burchfield was the Highlanders’ leading tackler, while Bond finished with more than 100 yards in the second half, and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
Trophy Masters Lineman of the Game: Sophomore right tackle Jayden Parra had a strong game run-blocking, helping pave the way for more than 350 yards by Scott High’s runningbacks.
Scott Morgan Farmers Co-Op Play of the Game: In the second quarter, senior Micah Boles broke free around the left side of the line and raced 72 yards for a touchdown, trimming a 10-0 Sweetwater lead to 10-7. Boles had more than 100 rushing yards in the first half, a career best.
The Game Was Over When: Sweetwater stepped in front of a fourth down pass with just under two minutes remaining, returning it 50 yards for a touchdown.
Stats That Stood Out: Scott High finished with a season-high 466 yards of total offense, including 351 rushing yards.
Scoring Summary: First quarter — Cy Prince 26-yard field goal … Nolan Dacus 9-yardd run (Prince kick). Second quarter — Micah Boles 72-yard run (Justyn Lynch kick) … Dacus 12-yard pass to Gus Campbell (Prince kick). Third quarter — Lucas Newport 18-yard run (kick failed) … Dacus 30-yard pass to Jeremiah Paris (Prince kick) … Michael Bond 17-yard run (pass failed). Fourth Quarter — Gage Privett 10-yard run (pass failed) … Dacus 15-yard run (Prince kick) … Campbell 50-yard interception return (Prince kick).
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Eagleton is surprisingly dominant in region title win against Oneida
MARYVILLE, Tenn. | Whatever anyone envisioned about Thursday’s regular season finale at Eagleton Academy, it probably wasn’t what actually happened.
Eagleton, facing the possibility of being bumped to the No. 3 seed in Region 2-2A, which would mean a difficult-to-win first round road game in the playoffs, came through with strong performances on either side of the football to claim a 40-7 win over the Indians and earn their first-ever region championship.
Despite the loss, Oneida will still host a first round playoff game, which will be against a West Greene team that has struggled this season. The biggest loser in Friday’s game was Polk County, which saw itself drop to third place and that unenviable first round road trip despite a dominant win against Eagleton just two weeks earlier.
Eagleton used the passing game effectively in Thursday’s game. Mason Mitchell completed 13 of 18 attempts for 335 yards and four touchdowns, helping his team roll up 419 yardds of total offense.
Oneida’s offense wasn’t bad in its own right. Brock Ryon completed 15 of 27 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.
But turnovers were key. Eagleton had two fumbles, but wound up in the plus side in turnover margin, taking the ball away from Oneida four times.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the way the Royals were able to carve up an Oneida defense that has been strong all season and especially dominant the past two weeks. Mitchell led scoring drives of 60 and 74 yards in the first half to get his team out to a 13-0 lead, then keyed touchdown drives of 58 and 53 yards to make it a 26-7 game at halftime.
The Royals drove the ball into Oneida territory to start the game, but that ended when William Hill stepped in front of a deep pass for an interception to thwart the scoring opportunity.
Oneida then flipped the field by driving to midfield before being forced to punt, and the Indians’ defense forced a three-and-out by Eagleton to get the ball back.
But after a 41-yard gain on a pass from Ryon to Grady Keeton, Oneida’s opportunity to take an early lead ended when Noel Meza-Flores intercepted a pass in the red zone and returned it to near midfield. One play later, Mitchell and Lane Cope connected for a 60-yard touchdown and the game’s first score.
A three-and-out by Oneida set up Eagleton’s second touchdown, which came on a 17-yard run by Colton Relation to make the score 13-0 after the PAT failed.
Needing to answer, Oneida did just that. The Indians put together a 76-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Ryon to Drayton Wade on third down, cutting Eagleton’s lead to 13-7.
But the Royals needed only three plays to answer. A long pass from Mitchell to Meza-Flores set up an 8-yard run by Jackson Caylor, and it was 20-7.
The Eagleton defense forced a punt by Oneida, but the Royals fumbled it away, and Waylon Hill recovered to give Oneida possession in Eagleton territory. However, Lane Cope intercepted a pass on third-and-long to give his team possession at midfield, then scored on a 19-yard pass from Mason Mitchell to make it 26-7 after Brady Burke blocked the extra point kick.
Already facing difficult odds, the Indians were hit with disaster on the first play of the second half, when Wyott Matossian forced and recovered a fumble near midfield after a completed pass. That set up a 38-yard touchdown run by Meza-Flores, which came on fourth down, making the score 33-7.
Waylon Hill came up with another turnover a few minutes later, recovering a fumble at Oneida’s 15-yard-line to prevent the score from getting worse.
From there, Oneida marched the ball into Eagleton territory before Parker Lewis came up with an interception at the 13-yard-line to set up the Royals’ final touchdown drive of the night. The final score came on a 37-yard pass from Mitchell to Cope late in the third quarter.
Game Capsule
First National Bank Player of the Game: Freshman Tate Shepard recorded a team-high (and career-high) 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, to lead the Indian defense.
Trophy Masters Lineman of the Game: Senior Colton Sircy played well on the offensive line, helping protect quarterback Brock Ryon.
Scott Morgan Farmers Co-Op Play of the Game: Midway through the second quarter, Brock Ryon completed a 10-yard pass to Drayton Wade to trim Eagleton’s lead to 13-7.
The Game Was Over When: Lane Cope intercepted a pass at his team’s 35-yard-line, then three plays later scored on a 19-yard pass from Mason Mitchell to make the score 26-7 just before halftime, a lead that began to feel insurmountable.
Stats That Stood Out: The game featured seven turnovers between the two teams, and both teams were penalized for more than 100 yards … Oneida dominated time of possession, 31:25 to 16:25, and ran 54 plays to Eagleton’s 39.
Scoring Summary: First quarter — Mason Mitchell 60-yard pass to Lane Cope (Braylon Stephens kick). Second quarter — Colton Relation 17-yard run (kick failed) … Brock Ryon 10-yard pass to Drayton Wade (Amauren Kidd kick) … Jackson Caylor 8-yard run (Stephens kick) … Mitchell 19-yard pass to Cope (kick failed). Third quarter — Mitchell 38-yard pass to Nola Meza-Flores (Stephens kick). Mitchell 37-yard pass to Lane Cope (Stephens kick).
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Playoff Schedule
Friday, November 7
West Greene at Oneida, 7 p.m.
Kingston at Gatlinburg-Pittman, 7 p.m.
Rockwood at Hampton, 7 p.m.
Tellico Plains at Happy Valley, 7 p.m.
Oliver Springs at North Greene, 7 p.m.
Polk Co. at South Greene, 7 p.m.
Sweetwater at Unicoi Co., 7 p.m.
Volunteer at Anderson Co., 7 p.m.
Cloudland at Coalfield, 7 p.m.
Cumberland Gap at Eagleton, 7 p.m.
Pigeon Forge at McMinn Central, 7 p.m.
Johnson Co. at Meigs Co., 7 p.m.
Science Hill at Oak Ridge, 7 p.m.
York Institute at Gordonsville, 8 p.m.
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