Top-ranked Tennesseee High Maintains Perfect Record WIth Win Over Central

BY JOHNNY WILSON
Sports Correspondent

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Now it’s time to see who’s who in the Big 8 Conference.
Tennessee High, the No.1-ranked Class 5-A football team in the state, took care of business Friday night with a 48-0 whipping of winless Sullivan Central, setting up the league’s two biggest games of the year over the next 13 days.

The undefeated Vikings, 5-0 in the Big 8 and 8-0 overall, first host once-beaten Daniel Boone on Friday, then travel to Kingsport to face once-beaten Sullivan South on Oct. 30.  Both upcoming opponents are ranked in the state as well.

THS coach Greg Stubbs said his club is right on schedule.

“We’ve got to get some people healthy, but yeah, these next two weeks are big,” Stubbs said.  “We kept some kids out tonight, like [linebacker] Chris Clark and [running back] Keenan Shepard, to try to get people healthy and ready.
“We are clicking pretty good on offense and I can’t complain about that.  It’s on defense where we are going to have to step up. We are going to have to play some defense these next two weeks.”

Tennessee High displayed plenty of offense in dispatching the outmanned Cougars (0-5, 0-8), rolling up almost 550 balanced yards. No one had a better night than quarterback Taylor Harmon.
A 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, Harmon completing 17 of 24 passes for a 322 yards and two touchdowns. The senior hit all eight of his attempts in the second half after throwing for 191 yards in the first half.

“And he hit the right people, too,” Stubbs said.  “And we finally hit a long one downfield (a 53-yarder on a post pattern to Carlos Howard) after missing a couple earlier.
“I can’t complain too much about our passing, or our offense in general. Especially since the [muddy] field was pretty treacherous out there.”

Harmon credited his offensive line.

“I think I only got hit one time tonight,” Harmon said.  “When you get protection like that, you can complete some passes.
“We always try to establish the run first between the tackles, then come off that with some passes. In conditions like these, you’ve got to be happy if you can complete even a couple throws.”

The Vikings were methodical offensively, scoring on three of four possessions in the first half to grab a 21-0 lead at intermission.
The big play of the first half occured when 240-pound running back Bradley Tallman took a little screen from Harmon and ran through two defenders on his way to a 67-yard touchdown reception. Tallman caught four passes on the night for 107 yards, and scored twice.

THS put the game away early in the second half, moving 75 yards in eight plays to go up 28-0 on a 4-yard strike from Harmon to John Ellis Davis, who had four receptions on the night, as did Cody Snyder.

The score climbed to 35-0 two plays after Central lost a fumble at the Viking 41, Orlando Gammon reaching the end zone on a 6-yard run. The TD, Gammon’s second of the game, was set up by the 53-yard pass to Howard.
“That’s the way it’s been all year,” said Central quarterback Taylor Winchell. “We’re always shooting outselves in the foot with mistakes like that.”

On a night when little went right for the home team, THS sophomore running back Michael Fersner capped the scoring with a 63-yard run with his first carry of the year.

“It’s been a tough year, no doubt,” Winchell said.  “It’s all a matter of pride now.  We’ve got Volunteer down there next week, and it’s time to win a ballgame.”

Tennessee High 7 14 14 13–48
Sullivan Central 0 0 0 0–0
Scoring Summary
TH–Gammon 3 run (Graham kick)
TH–Pendleton 2 run (Graham kick)
TH–Tallman 67 pass from Harmon (Graham kick)
TH–Davis 4 pass from Harmon (Graham kick)
TH–Gammon 6 run (Graham kick)
TH–Tallman 1 run (kick failed)
TH–Fersner 63 run (Graham kick)
Team Stats
First Downs: TH 24, SC 14; Rushes-Yards: TH 26-225; SC 25-80; Passing Yards: TH 322; SC 98; Comp.-Att.-Int.: TH 17-24-0; SC 9-20-0; Fumbles-Lost: TH 2-0, SC 3-2; Penalties: TH 4-35, SC 7-32; Punts: TH 0-0, SC 5-34.6.