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Rebels' Mathis, Tigers' Willis among Mr. Football Finalists in Tennessee

McKenzie Rebel senior offensive and defensive lineman Ricky Mathis was selected as one of three finalists for the Class AA Mr. Football lineman of the year award.

Mathis has been a force for the Rebels up front and perhaps played his best game against Waverly in McKenzie's 23-17 first-round playoff victory. He had 39 pancake blocks offensively and had 52 tackles, 10 for loss through nine games this season.

He is joined as a finalist by Chattanooga-Tyner's Demonte Bolden, and Lewis County's Bobby Clift.

The Rebels are 7-4 and readying for a visit from Fairview in the Class 2A Sweet 16.

Bruceton's Patrick Willis earns a unique distinction for being a finalist as Both Class A Mr. Football Back and Lineman.

Meanwhile, Bruceton's Patrick Willis earns a unique distinction for being a finalist as Both Class A Mr. Football Back and Lineman. Willis is a 6-2, 218 lb. senior and becomes the third player at the school to earn such a nomination. Joey Longmire and Adrian Jamison were each Class A back winners while James Hartsfield was Bruceton's lone Class A Mr. Tennessee lineman.

Willis holds 10 school records for the Tigers, who are 9-2 and headed into the second-round of the Class A state playoffs. He has 19 career quarterback sacks, 42 tackles for loss, 453 career tackles and owns the single-season yards-per-carry mark (10.06) set this year. He set a single-game mark with 291 rushing yards against Camden this year. He has 1,661 rushing yards this season.

For back of the year, Willis is joined by Dane Chrisman of Cloudland and Antoine Owens of Ezell-Harding. For lineman of the year, Willis is joined by Will Healy of Chattanooga-Boyd Buchanan and Jonathan Ward of Collinwood.

The winners from each class and category will be announced at a special luncheon at Opryland Hotel on Dec. 2.
 

Cody Cook rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns including the game-winning run in overtime.

McKenzie advances to the Sweet 16 of the state football playoffs and will host Fairview Friday night at 7. Tickets are $7 and will be available at the high school office.

MHS coach Wade Comer was exhausted and thrilled by the victory.

"Nobody expected us to be here, but we expected to be here," said Comer. "Cody was ready to end it (with his touchdown run). It boiled down to who wanted it more."

McKenzie stopped Waverly on downs during the Tigers' overtime possession and scored on the third-down play when a spent Cook surged his way around the left side for the clincher.

"I had no idea I scored," said a shocked Cook, breathing heavily. "I just heard everybody screaming."

Lineman Ricky Mathis admonished the team not to give up, even down 17-0 at halftime.

"I told the guys we have another half to play," he said. "I told the kids not to get their heads down; we knew we were going to win."

McKenzie faces a stalwart Fairview team at Rebel Field for the second time in as many years. The Yellow Jackets feature a balanced attack with a talented running back. Should McKenzie defeat Fairview and Lewis County upend Riverside, the Rebels will be back at home for a state-quarterfinal pairing.

In other action across Carroll County, Fairview stunned Huntingdon 16-15, Jackson Christian slipped past West Carroll 15-12 and Bruceton romped to a 42-0 victory over Perry County's Vikings. See complete coverage of McKenzie's victory over Waverly and the rest of the playoff games in the print edition of McKenzie Banner's sports section.
 

What the Rebels wanted, they got.

McKenzie, seeded third from Region 6-2A, rallied from a 17-0 deficit to defeat homestanding 5-2A second seed Waverly 23-17 in overtime during first-round action of the Class 2A state football playoffs.

The victory ensures a home game Friday night in the second round against upstart Fairview. The Yellow Jackets upset Huntingdon 16-15 to advance to Rebel Field this Friday night. Kickoff is 7 p.m. and tickets are $7.

McKenzie scored 17 points in the final frame, made a great defensive stand and then used a 7-yard burst to the left side from sophomore Cody Cook to win the game in extra time.
"We have kids stepping up," said McKenzie coach Wade Comer, pleasantly exhausted with the victory. "Cody didn't run like a dad-gum sophomore; he ran with authority and we leaned on him."

Cook finished with three touchdowns, 28 carries and 138 yards. But he couldn't do it alone. The Rebel front picked up the pace and pushed the pile in the second half all the way through overtime.

"We challenged the line in the second half," said Comer. "In the second half, we came out and we smoked them."

It's hard to figure a turning point in the game. Trailing 17-0 in the third quarter, the Rebel defense was hit with a phantom pass-interference call. Junior defensive back Daniel Duncan made a tremendous play to break up a pass, coming around a Waverly receiver to knock the ball away. But a horrid call by the officials nullified the effort. That play served to hack off the Rebs.

Once inspired, McKenzie put together a 65-yard scoring drive, ending in an 11-yard TD run by Cook with 11:07 to play in the fourth.

"Once we broke the ice, that gave us confidence," said Comer. "We started moving the ball, we were coming off the ball real well and Cody picked it up."

The next turning point might have occurred on the ensuing Waverly possession. McKenzie forced a Tiger punt, but the snap went over punter Nathan Luten's head. Facing serious pursuit, he managed to squeeze off a punt that covered minus-4 yards. Aided by a perceived make-up interference call, Cook took over. With the ball resting on the Tiger 15, Cook ran for 11 then 4 yards for the score with 8:02 to play. John Kermit Laughery added the second of two conversion kicks and a comfy 17-0 Tiger lead had melted to a slim three-point advantage.

Perhaps the biggest turning point occurred on Waverly's next possession. The Tigers opted to roll the dice. After marching to the Rebel 46 and facing a fourth-and-inches situation, wingback David Flowers tried the MHS middle and found it inhospitable. Rebel defenders Ricky Mathis and John Craig Howell introduced themselves to Flowers to the tune of a 1-yard loss. From there, Cook carried eight of nine plays, landing MHS on the Tiger 11. From there, Laughery made good on a pressure-packed, 28-yard field game-tying goal with :49 to play.

"That was remarkable," said Comer of Laughery's kick. "He kicked it like it was nothing."

To overtime.

The Rebels bent but didn't break on four plays. Jake Damesworth rumbled three yards to the 7 and picked up five more on his next carry. Tiger quarterback Randall Boldin ran it to the 1 where Damesworth's number was called again on fourth down. Senior Jay Taylor and Duncan clogged up the point of attack and stopped the Tiger runner just short of the end zone. That led to the Rebels' game-winning score on the next overtime possession.

"The defense settled down," said Comer. "I can't say enough about those kids."

Waverly scored on the last play of the first on Bolden's plunge from a yard. He scored again with 6:43 to play in the second frame. Donald Bishop added a 25-yard field goal with :06 to play in the half. He also was perfect in two PAT attempts.

Damesworth had 21 carries for 77 yards. Wingback Ryan Anderson carried four times for 74 yards. Flowers toted 16 times for 35 yards.

The Rebs, trying to get field position for a game-winning field goal, instead got a game-winning TD from Cook.

"Cook was ready to end it," said Comer. "And it boiled down to who wanted it more."

The Rebels advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year and improve to 7-4 overall. Meanwhile, Waverly ends its season with an 8-3 mark.

First Quarter
Fairview dominated the time of possession in the first quarter with the Mustangs running only four plays. Fairview took the opening kickoff and was forced to punt on the opening drive after a delay of game penalty and a third down pass attempt fell incomplete leaving them facing fourth and 14. Cochran's punt took a bounce in Fairview's favor as it was downed at the Mustang six yard line. Matt Lange received the opening handoff and moved the ball to the 25 for a first down. A five yard penalty on first down, a five yard loss on second down and a fumbled snap left the Mustangs facing fourth and 20 deep in their own territory and they were forced to punt. The Yellowjackets began their second possession from the Mustang 48 yard line and covered 46 yards before being stopped on fourth and goal from the two yard line where the Mustangs took over on downs. Lange picked up two yards on first down from the two yard line as the first quarter ended with both teams scoreless.

Second Quarter
Huntingdon's Hunter Hastings and Desmond Townes combined for five yards on two carries as the Mustangs were forced to punt on fourth down. Nellett's punt was good for 49 yards and was bobbled at midfield but recovered by the Yellowjackets at their own 44. Penalties and a 20 yard run by Cothran set up a two yard touchdown run by Cothran with 5:26 remaining in the half. Cothran added the two point conversion to give the Yellowjackets an 8-0 lead. Huntingdon's ensuing drive ended after a third down conversion run by Lange was nullified due to a penalty. Nellett's punt was good for 58 yards as Huntingdon's Kenny Rich downed the punt at the Yellowjacket three yard line. Tackles by Townes and Nathan Wallace left Fairview facing third and eight and a third down fumble was recovered by Stephen Wright for the Mustangs at the Yellowjacket one yard line. Justin Truett scored on the Mustangs first attempt from the one yard line and Mark Newsome added the point after to pull Huntingdon within one, 8-7, with 1:41 remaining in the half. Fairview moved the ball to the Mustang 30 on their ensuing drive before a second down pass attempt by Cothran was intercepted by Andrew Maddox at the Mustang 20. With 11 seconds remaining in the half, Terrence Bell broke open gaining 40 yards before being chased down with no time remaining in the half. Fairview held a one point lead, 8-7, going into the break.

Third Quarter
The Mustangs continued to struggle offensively on their opening possession of the second half. A first down run by Bell was negated due to a holding penalty against Huntingdon and they were again forced to punt. Hastings downed the punt at the Fairview 12 yard line where the Yellowjackets took over for their first series of the second half. The Mustang defense held and Huntingdon regained possession at midfield. After picking up a first down, the Mustangs struggled and were forced to punt on fourth and long. Nellett's punt rolled into the endzone and the Yellowjackets took over at their own 20. Fairview moved the ball to the one yard line where they faced third and goal as the third period ended with the Yellowjackets retaining their one point lead, 8-7.

Fourth Quarter
Cothran scored from one yard out on the opening play of the fourth quarter and added the two point conversion to give Fairview a 16-7 lead early in the final period. The Mustangs moved the ball on the ensuing drive with Lange scoring from two yards out and Hastings adding the two point conversion to pull the Mustangs within one, 16-15, just inside six minutes remaining in the game. Fairview controlled the ball for almost five minutes before being forced to punt with 1:15 remaining to play. The Mustangs began their final drive from the Yellowjacket 20 yard line. A second down pass attempt was intercepted by Fairview at midfield as they held on to defeat the Region 6 2A champions 16-15 and advance to the second round where they will travel to McKenzie to take on the Rebels at home after McKenzie defeated Waverly in overtime to advance to the second round.

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