The Rebels did a lot of sleepwalking for nearly three quarters before rallying for 22 points in the final frame to dispatch host Martin-Westview 36-32.

The Chargers, who will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1993 season, played unlike a team with a 1-7 record. They took McKenzie to the limit when the alarm clock woke the Rebels up in the final frame.

McKenzie trailed 26-14 going into the final quarter when it started to click on offense. The Rebs rolled up 151 of their 428 total yards in the final canto. They also clicked off nine first downs. Meanwhile, the McKenzie defense picked up the pace in the final 12 minutes as well, halting what had been a Charger juggernaut and staggering it for only 46 yards and a first down.
The Rebels escaped. They escaped senior Markei Guy's outburst, 18 carries for 119 yards and four touchdowns and they escaped a flat start.

"Westview has a good football team and we just didn't play well," said McKenzie coach Wade Comer. "But we won and that's the good part. I've never seen an ugly win."

Westview coach Don Coady said he had no problems with the team's performance.

"We gave a pretty good effort," he said. "Apparently, it wasn't good enough, though."

The Rebels played ping pong with the Chargers in the first half and held a 14-6 lead in the first quarter. McKenzie wrapped a pair of TDs around Westview's 11-play, 67-yard drive that ended in Markei Guy's 16-yard run with 5:00 to play. C.W. West's kick failed.

McKenzie drew first blood when sophomore quarterback Drew Hayes hit a sprinting Randy Lacey for an 11-yard TD. John Kermit Laughery added the first of four PAT kicks and the Rebs led 7-0.
After Guy's score, McKenzie answered with Cody Cook's 3-yard plunge at the 3:02 mark. The drive covered 65 yards in eight plays and the Rebels led 14-6. That's when the Chargers responded with 20 unanswered points between the first and fourth quarters.

Guy scored on a 3-yard run with 11:10 to play in the second frame. The try for two failed, but the Chargers had cut the lead to two, 14-12. With 5:32 to play, Guy scored again, this time from 14 yards, ending a five-play, 79-yard drive. Martin led at the half 18-14 and wasn't finished.

Michael Hobock dashed 4 yards for the end zone, ending a seven-play, 45-yard drive. Guy added the deuce and the Chargers led 26-14. As anemic as the Rebels had been for two quarters, another shocking loss to a Weakley County team appeared to be imminent.

That's when the alarm clock aroused the sleeping giant, clad in red and gray.

McKenzie scored early and often in the fourth, beginning with a 15-yard aerial from Hayes to junior Clint Anderson with 10:41 to play. The Rebels forced a three-and-out on the next Charger series and went to work again, this time on the ground. Senior Brad Campbell bullied his way into the end zone from the 3 with 5:26 to play. On the PAT, the Rebels set up for the kick, but on the snap, Hayes flipped the ball to Cook and he strolled into the end zone for the deuce. That made the score 29-26 and McKenzie never trailed again.

Another defensive stand enabled the Rebels to score its final touchdown, this time with 2:12 to play. Cook rambled through a tired Charger defense from 18 yards. Laughery's kick lifted MHS to a 36-26 lead.

The Chargers tacked on a cosmetic touchdown when Guy sprinted 42 yards around the right side with 1:33 to play. From there, McKenzie ran out the clock.

"We did what we had to do to win," said Comer. "What we did worked good enough to win."

Coady said the Rebels are tough to prepare for, but was pleased with his team's offensive production.

"It's tough to stop all they things they do," he said, "but our offense has gotten better all year. Our ability to run the ball has improved, but we're not passing like we ought to be."

McKenzie, now 8-1, 4-0 in Region 6-2A, will face Huntingdon, same record, for the regional championship.

"Everything is set up the way we want it and we are in a good position and we've worked to give ourselves a chance."

Hayes was 15-23 for 184 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Daniel Duncan was McKenzie's leading receiver with six catches for 66 yards. Cook was back up to par with 23 carries for 191 yards, two scores and a two-point conversion.

Kickoff next week at Rebel Field is 7:30 p.m.

M 14 0 0 22 36
W 6 12 8 6 32

FIRST QUARTER
M - 9:48 Randy Lacey 11 pass from Drew Hayes, John Kermit Laughery kick. 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:12.
W - 5:00 Markei Guy 16 run, kick failed, 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:48.
M - 3:02 Cook 3 run, Laughery kick, 8 plays, 65 yards, 1:58.
SECOND QUARTER
W - 11:10 Guy 3 run, pass failed, 4 plays, 13 yards, 2:51.
W - 5:32 Guy 14 run, run failed, 5 plays, 79 yards, 1:52.
THIRD QUARTER
W - 1:59 Michael Hobock 4 run, Guy run, 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:45.
FOURTH QUARTER
M - 10:41 Clint Anderson 15 pass from Drew Hayes, Laughery kick, 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:18.
M - 5:26 Brad Campbell 3 run, Cook pass from Hayes, 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:03.
M - 2:12 Cook 18 run, Laughery kick, 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:56.
W - 1:33 Guy 42 run, kick failed, 2 plays, 47 yards, :39.

M W
First downs 22 18
Yds. Rushing 36-244 43-238
Yds. Passing 184 94
Total Yds. 428 332
Comp. Att. Int. 15-23-0 4-12-0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Third down 6-9 4-10
Fourth down 0-1 2-4
Red zone-scores 5-6 4-5
Possession 22:47 25:13
Punt-avg. 1-26 2-24
Penalties 4-45 6-49

The game began with the War Eagles on offense after South Fulton won the toss and elected to defer until the second half. South Fulton’s William Minor, who played an extremely physical game throughout, kicked off to Jeremiah Johnson at the War Eagle 14. Johnson returned the ball 15 yards to the 29 where the War Eagles offensive line took over. On first down, S. Depriest picked up five yards and then another two yards on the second down play. After a motion penalty on the War Eagles and facing third and eight, quarterback Chris Cannon took the ball on the bootleg and rushed for 25 yard. A late hit penalty on the Red Devils moved the ball down to the South Fulton 29. Depriest then took the ball five and three yards on two downs and with a big surge from his offensive line moved the ball to the 14 for the big first down. Depriest was called on the next two plays as well, picking up four and seven yards respectively. After gaining two of the needed three yards on first down, another offensive line surge put Depriest in the end zone on the one-yard run for the first score of the game at the 7:10 mark. Kelly Keen came in to kick the first PAT of the night good and the War Eagles took a 7-0 lead.

Keen came out to kick off to the Red Devils and the onside kick while unexpected was quickly controlled by South Fulton’s Jake Napier. The Red Devils began their first assault from the War Eagle 48. Mitchell Maynard took the ball for a gain of ten before he was stopped by Kevin Gentile. A fumbled snap was quickly recovered by Justin Grooms for no gain. On second down, Maynard picked up four with Johnson on the stop and then Grooms rolled out to pass for 10 yards to Maynard. With the ball at the War Eagle 23, a delay of game penalty was assessed and then Michael Alford took the ball for a gain of eight before he was stopped by Travis Wollesen and Gentile.. Facing second and seven at the 20, Maynard was caught by Wollesen for a loss of seven. A third and 14 play found Alford stopped by Kenny Brewer after a gain of three, but the War Eagles held on fourth down and took over at their own 24-yard line.

Gentile took the ball for a gain of 13 before Depriest found a hole and rushed the ball 47 yards, down to the South Fulton 16. Gentile then got the nod, took the ball and rushed into the end zone at the 1:50 mark. Keen’s PAT was again good and West Carroll gained a 14-0 advantage.

Kevin Taylor kicked to Alford, who took his eye off the ball on the reception. Alford fumbled the ball which rolled into the end zone and was ruled a touchback. The Red Devils took over at their own 20-yard line. Alford was picked to run the ball for the Red Devils, picking up 13 yards before he was stopped by Jason Lott and Gentile and five with Johnson on the stop. C. Depriest and Ethan Thompson combined to catch Alford for a loss of two as the first quarter concluded with the Red Devils at their own 36-yard line. However, the second quarter began for a bang for the Red Devils. On third and seven, quarterback Adam Hicks passed the ball to Minor who took the ball the remaining 64 yards to pay dirt. At the 11:47 mark, Kurt Stafford’s PAT was good and the War Eagles now led 14-7.

The ball was kicked out of bounds and the War Eagles took over at their own 35-yard line for what would be a diligent and deliberate march to the end zone. S. Depriest took the ball for no gain and then picked up a yard. Cannon rolled out and was run out of bounds, with a late hit penalty again assessed the Red Devils. The War Eagles advanced to the South Fulton 45 where Gentile picked up three yards. Cannon rolled out and was caught for a loss of one. C. Depriest took the ball on the reverse and was run out of bounds after a gain of three. With the ball at the South Fulton 40, the War Eagles decided to go for the first down. Gentile was given the opportunity and did not let his team down, gaining 10 yards before he was stopped at the Red Devil 30 with a first down. S. Depriest then took the ball for a gain of five and Gentile gained 12. With the ball now at the South Fulton 13, the Red Devils called a time-out at the 7:20 mark. Following the short break in action, Depriest took the ball for a gain of one while Gentile rolled around the end to gain almost all of the needed nine. On third and inches from the South Fulton three, Depriest picked up his second touchdown of the night at the 6:05 mark and Keen’s PAT was good to give the War Eagles a 21-7 advantage.

Keen made an onsides kick and again the Red Devils managed to gain control as Kyle Jackson took the ball at his own 49. The Red Devils were hampered in this possession by an immediate illegal block that cost them 10 yards. Although Hicks managed to regain the lost yardage before Lott made the stop, the War Eagles then held South Fulton to only three additional yards with Brewer on the stop and an incomplete pass. Stafford punted the ball on fourth and 11 and the ball rolled to the War Eagle one-yard line.

Cannon held on a quarterback keeper on the first down play and picked up a yard. S. Depriest was then held for a loss of one. Gentile gained nine on the third down play and again the War Eagles were playing to win as Depriest took the ball and picked up the needed yard on fourth down. Gentile took the ball, but the War Eagles were penalized for holding and faced first and nine from their own 12. Gentile and Depriest each picked up three-yard gains and South Fulton used another time-out with 1:09 remaining in the first half. An illegal substitution by the Red Devils cost them five yards and gave the War Eagles a first down as play resumed. C. Depriest was held for a loss of one and Gentile picked up one as the first half came to an end.
The Marching War Eagles presented their competitive tribute to the Righteous Brothers during intermission as one last preparation to attending the Division I State Championship the following day in Murfreesboro.

The War Eagles Kevin Taylor kicked an onsides kick to begin the third period and again the Red Devils retained possession as Bobby Brasure took the ball on the 50-yard line. The Red Devils wasted no time in proving they were still in the ballgame. Alford picked up 17 yards before he was stopped by Gentile and then 23 yards as Gentile again made the tackle. With the ball at the War Eagle 10, Maynard took the ball into the end zone and a fake PAT resulted in Maynard running around the end and getting two points as the score was narrowed to a 21-15 lead for the War Eagles at the 10:45 mark of the third period.

The Red Devils Minor kicked the ball into the end zone, leaving the War Eagles at their own 20 to begin their first offensive possession of the second half. On first down, Gentile quickly moved the ball to the 40. Gentile then gained five and one yards respectively on the first two downs. S. Depriest moved the ball for a gain of five and first down at the South Fulton 49. Gentile picked up two while Depriest was held for a loss of three. Facing third and 11, Cannon rolled out and was sacked for a loss of four. Blake Abercrombie came in to punt and a short kick resulted in the Red Devils gaining good field position at their own 43.

Although the Red Devils were off to a poor start with a five-yard penalty and two incomplete passes, on third and 15 from their own 38, Alford took a delayed handoff and rushed 62 yards to the end zone. With 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stafford’s PAT was good and the Red Devils took a 22-21 advantage.

Once again the War Eagles took over at their own 20 as the ball was kicked into the end zone. The possession began well as they consistently picked up yardage. Gentile gained two and then thirteen yards. Gentile was held for a loss of two, but Cannon took the ball on the sweep and gained nine. Gentile was held for no gain and with 2:45 remaining in the third period, the War Eagles took a time-out. S. Depriest took the ball to the South Fulton 48 on the first play after the break for the first down. Depriest then gained a yard, Gentile picked up two and Depriest gained five more. Needing a single yard on the fourth down at the Red Devil 40, the War Eagles decided to again go for the down. However, Gentile was caught for a loss of two and the Red Devils took over at their own 42-yard line.

Alford took the ball quickly to the War Eagle 44 for a first down where he was run out of bounds by Wollesen. Minor picked up three with S. Depriest on the stop as the third quarter ended. Stafford took the ball for a gain of five with Lott on the stop and facing third and two. Alford was again the back to stop as Lott, Keen and Karl Erwin held him for a loss of six. After a time-out by the Red Devils, they decided to go for the needed three and Alford took the ball on the sweep. After a holding penalty was assessed on the Red Devils and a personal foul penalty on the War Eagles, the fourth down was repeated with South Fulton needing six yards from the War Eagle 39. Alford got an opportunity and picked up only two of the needed yardage as C. Depriest, Wesley Arnold and Erwin were there to make the tackle.

The War Eagles regained possession at their own 39. Cannon passed the ball to Abercrombie for a gain of 29. Thompson took the ball for a gain of four and Gentile also picked up four. Facing third and three, S. Depriest dove forward for a first down at the South Fulton 13. A fumble was quickly recovered by Cannon for a gain of two. S. Depriest took the ball for one, bringing the ball down to the South Fulton 10 and then rushed into the end zone for this third score of the night at the 5:50 mark. The War Eagles attempted a two-point conversion, but the ball was fumbled, Cannon recovered and attempted to run the ball, but was held short. An unsportsmanlike penalty on the Red Devils was assessed on the kickoff. West Carroll now led 27-22.

Taylor was again called on to kick the ball and it landed in the end zone for a touchback. On first down, Keen held Alford to no gain. A lateral pass to Minor was good for a gain of seven. Stafford was hit in the back field after a gain of only one and the Red Devils took a time-out with 4:19 remaining in the fourth period. When play resumed, they went for the first down and another Alford ran off tackle for four yards with Brewer on the stop. Another lateral pass to Maynard was good for five and Maynard swept for a gain of four as Gentile and Johnson combined for the tackle. Alford gained a first down despite the efforts of C. Depriest and Thompson with 1:54 remaining. With the ball at the War Eagle 42 and only 1:54 remaining in the game, the Red Devils took to the air and C. Depriest made perhaps the biggest play of the game with his game-saving interception. Again the Red Devils were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and the War Eagles had the ball at the Red Devil 46. West Carroll picked up a false start penalty and faced first and 15. S. Depriest picked up four yards and the War Eagles took a time-out with only 59.2 seconds remaining in the game. Depriest was held for no gain on second down and South Fulton took a time out with 52.7 remaining in the game. On third and 10, Cannon ran the bootleg down to the South Fulton one-yard line, but a clipping penalty brought the ball back to the South Fulton 46 and a repeat of the third down. S. Depriest took the ball for a gain of 10 and as the final seconds ticked away, the War Eagles’ Cannon took a knee and the team celebrated their big victory as they remained undefeated in Region 8-A.

The War Eagles will close out the regular season by hosting the Halls Tigers this Thursday night at War Eagle Stadium. A lot rides on this game as Halls comes to town with a single regional loss of their own, to South Fulton. The Red Devils only regional loss is to West Carroll. A loss this Thursday could result in a three-way tie for first place and the TSSAA rules kicking in to determine the order of seeding as playoffs begin.

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