Tough sledding for Scott against Kingston
Yellow Jacket defense locks down in the second half as Kingston scores 28 unanswered
You’re reading Varsity, the weekly sports newsletter of the Independent Herald. Published on the weekend, Varsity includes a look back at the past week in high school sports. Need to update your subscription to include (or exclude) this newsletter? You can do so here. If you aren’t subscribed, please consider doing so — it’s free!
Tired of heel pain? Give Dr. Nate Brennan a call. Seeing a podiatrist doesn’t require a drive to Knoxville. Dr. Brennan offers regular office hours in both Oneida and Jamestown. (800) 930-7435
Kingston clamps down
HUNTSVILLE | What looked to be shaping up as a memorable clash between two old rivals in the first half turned into one to forget in the second half, as Kingston keyed on its dominant defense and Scott High miscues to turn a 3-3 halftime tie into a 28-3 win at Highlander Stadium.
The Highlanders led for most of the first half, until Kingston hit a field goal in the waning seconds of the second quarter. But that was just the start of 28 unanswered points by the Yellow Jackets, who tacked on three touchdowns and two safeties in the second half to score an important region win and keep themselves in the hunt for a league championship.
The second half was an unmitigated disaster for the Highlander offense: six possessions netted three interceptions and two safeties, and -24 yards of total offense.
That was mostly due to a high-flying, hard-hitting Kingston defense that had been almost as good in the first half. After driving 56 yards for a 26-yard Justyn Lynch field goal on the game’s opening possession, Scott had only 73 yards of offense the rest of the first half, and only 59 yards the rest of the game.
The Highlander defense was good in its own right. Although Kingston finished with 220 yards of total offense, the Highlanders forced four fumbles, recovered three of them, and kept the game winnable most of the way. Continuing to play determined even after the deficit began to become too much to overcome late, the Highlanders forced Kingston into four punts in addition to the three turnovers. Braxton Potter, Carter Slaven and Jesse Jeffers each had a fumble recovery for the Highlanders. Micah Boles forced two of the fumbles, while one was an unforced error by Kingston.
Scott High started the game with a Lynch field goal to take a 3-0 lead, then forced a three-and-out by Kingston that included three tackles by Brett Hall, and the Highlanders had possession near midfield with an opportunity to go up two scores early.
But Kingston’s defense stopped the Highlanders two yards short of the sticks on a fourth-and-eight play to regain possession inside its 30-yard-line.
Later in the first half, disaster appeared to strike when a Kingston punt was muffed at the 12-yard-line, giving the Yellow Jackets possession inside the red zone. But the Highlander defense responded with a big play, and Jeffers recovered a fumble to thwart the scoring threat.
The Highlanders were again plagued by penalties — a theme that has repeated itself in every game this season. After getting to Kingston’s 10-yard-line with another opportunity to extend the lead, the Highlanders were hit with a dead ball unsportsman like conduct that backed them up and ultimately forced a punt.
From there, Kingston drove the length of the field and connected on a 34-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, tying the game.
The second half saw Kingston take first possession and march to the Highlander nine-yard-line. But the defense again made a big play, with Potter recovering a fumble.
But the second half would be played almost exclusively on the wrong side of the field for the Highlanders, a theme that started with Kingston intercepting a third-and-long pass at the 27-yard-line.
From there, the Yellow Jackets scored the game’s first touchdown, a 5-yard run by Keaton Swicegood to give Kingston its first lead of the game.
Scott picked up a first down on the ensuing possession, but yet another penalty put the Highlanders into a passing situation, and Kingston took advantage with a 42-yard pick-six by Joel Peterson for a 17-3 lead.
The Highlander defense forced a punt on Kingston’s next possession, after the Yellow Jackets had gotten a stop at the line of scrimmage on a third-and-short play. But Kingston’s punt rolled all the way to the four-yard-line, and Scott High was stopped in the end zone for a safety on the ensuing play.
Another Kingston punt was forced by the Highlanders, but the Yellow Jackets picked off their third pass of the second half to set up a 10-yard touchdown run and a 26-3 lead.
Finally, a bad snap on a punt attempt resulted in another safety, giving Kingston a 28-3 lead.
The Yellow Jackets’ final possession resulted in a Slaven fumble recovery after Boles forced the ball free.
Game Capsule
First National Bank Player of the Game: Micah Boles played well from his free safety position, forcing a fumble and leading his team in tackles.
Trophy Masters Lineman of the Game: Eli Kidd was called upon to play on the defensive side of the ball and played well on the defensive line.
Scott Morgan Farmers Co-Op Play of the Game: Micah Boles planted his helmet on the football, popping it free and into the arms of a waiting Carter Slaven as Kingston attempted to pad the stats and its lead late in the game.
The Game Was Over When: Kingston punted to Scott High’s four-yard-line to start the fourth quarter, then recorded a stop in the end zone for a safety on the very next play, building its lead to 19-3 and getting the ball back.
Scoring Summary: Justyn Lynch 26-yard field goal ... Ryne Knies 34-yard field goal ... Keaton Swicegood 5-yard run (Knies kick) ... Joel Peterson 42-yard interception return (Knies kick) ... Safety ... Luke Chadwick 10-yard run (Knies kick) ... Safety.
Stats That Stood Out: Scott High had -26 yards of offense in the second half ... The Highlanders were penalized 11 times for 110 yards.
Terry and Mary Ann Roark and the folks at Roark’s Pharmacy have been caring for you and your family for over 35 years. Ready to transfer your prescriptions? Visit roarkspharmacy.com.
Photo gallery
Danny’s Drugs has been putting patients first since 1966. Kevin, Tess and the friendly staff at Danny’s Drugs stand ready to assist you! Call (423) 569-8652.
Postseason update: Playoffs continue to shape up
Friday night’s loss to Kingston all but ended Scott High’s hopes of hosting a playoff game, while Oneida — which was off last week, along with most of its Region 2-2A counterparts, remains in the running to host a November game as we head into the final three weeks of the regular season.
ONEIDA, CLASS 2A
Nothing really changed in Region 2-2A last week, with only one team (Tellico Plains) in action. The Bears defeated Harriman, 39-14, to snap a three-game losing skid.
With only four teams in the region, there is no real playoff race in Region 2; the only drama revolves around which two teams will earn the right to host a first round game.
Oneida and Eagleton remain in the driver’s seat in that regard, each at 1-0 in the region with wins over Tellico Plains. The Indians defeated the Bears 24-14 on Sept. 19, while Eagleton defeated Tellico Plains 33-7 on Oct. 3.
Polk County, at 3-4 overall, has yet to play a region game.
For Oneida, big games include both the remaining region games: a visit from Polk County on Oct. 24, followed by a trip to Eagleton six days later to conclude the regular season.
A win over Polk County would lock down a first round playoff game at home for Oneida, and set up the game against Eagleton as a region championship contest.
With the exception of Tellico Plains, which is 0-2 and can finish no higher than third in the region, every team in Region 2-2A controls its own destiny at this point. Eagleton and Polk County will play this week.
The playoff jockeying is important because there is a decided difference in the top and the bottom of Region 1-2A. Happy Valley and South Greene are the two teams at the top, with records of 8-0 and 6-1, respectively. At the bottom are Cumberland Gap and West Greene, at 3-5 and 0-7.
SCOTT, CLASS 3A
The playoff picture continues to be much more complicated in Region 2-3A, which has six teams vying for four playoff spots.
The Highlanders continue to be haunted by a loss at McMinn Central, and their position is now complicated by Friday’s loss to Kingston as a visit from state-ranked Meigs County looms.
Meigs is the team that most pointed to as the region favorite coming into the season, and it hasn’t disappointed, off to a 6-1 start with wins over McMinn Central and Sweetwater.
Kingston, at 5-2, has already locked down a playoff berth, as well, with a 3-1 start in region play that includes wins over Austin-East, McMinn Central and Scott.
The one head-scratcher in the region thus far is Kingston’s 21-19 home loss to Sweetwater on Sept. 19. Nevertheless, the Yellow Jackets remain in position to face Meigs County in a region championship game on Oct. 30 — if Meigs wins one of the next two against Scott this week and Austin-East next week.
At 2-1 with the wins over Austin-East and Kingston, Sweetwater is currently in third place and controls its own destiny for a playoff berth. Scott and McMinn Central are both 1-2.
The Highlanders need a win over Meigs County this week. Otherwise, they’ll be traveling to Sweetwater on Oct. 30 for a must-win game as far as its playoff hopes are concerned.
However, the Highlanders may no longer control their own destiny if that scenario shapes up. In a nutshell, the Highlanders need McMinn Central to defeat Sweetwater on Oct. 24. Or, they would need Austin-East to defeat McMinn Central on Halloween night, which would be a considerable upset. Otherwise, things could get more complicated with a three-way tie for the third and fourth places in the standings.
Of course, if the Highlanders defeat Meigs County this week, none of that may matter.
Download the E-Edition!
Varsity, the E-Edition, is available here!
Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be The Daybreaker tomorrow morning. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!
◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes from the Past (stories of our history)
◼️ Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
◼️ Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
◼️ Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
◼️ Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)