By Allen Hamrick
If you weren’t at Roane County Stadium on Friday night you missed one of the best upsetting of the apple carts this season in any sport. The CCHS Panthers took on the Roane Raiders, who were last season’s state runners up and were ranked sixth this season with a 9-1 record. Ninety percent of all armchair bookies gave the Panthers about as much chance as a two-legged horse at Churchill Downs to beat the Raiders.
Early this season, the Raiders took the Panthers to the woodshed, beating them 49-14. However, this Panther team didn’t get the memo on game day that they were snowballs in Arizona. They were out to exact some revenge on the Raiders and do it in such a way that would burn in their memory for years. It was Raider turf, and for the Panthers to move up, they would have to overcome the home field odds.
The game started, and the Panther defense was unmerciful in their attack of the Raiders. The Raiders had speed and more speed, but the Panthers’ defense was a wall they couldn’t get through. The Panthers offense was having the same problem with the Roane defense as they couldn’t seem to gain any real estate. So, in the first quarter neither team showed any signs of being able to score; at the end of twelve minutes the score stood at 0-0.
Then, the Panther defense stepped up and put even more pressure on the Raider runners. The Raiders went into a sweep, and Kohan Ramsey hit the runner and stripped him of the ball that gave it back to the Panthers. This started a waterfall like no other that flooded the Raider camp. With that momentum, on the second play of their possession Cooper Collins started his air show hitting the uncatchable legend Joel Elliott in full stride for the first TD of the game. Jaxon Brown added the extra point, and the Panthers, once they had the lead, never gave it back. The Raiders were out yet they returned the favor seconds later with their own TD and made the score 7-6.
On their next possession, the Panthers were having a hard time moving the ball as Raider defense had them at third and 21. Cooper Collins pulled out the gun again and hit Jacoby Nichols for a 65-yard TD which permanently quieted the Raider fan box. The Raiders got the ball back and after a big run, had great field advantage on the kickoff and were camped on the Panther side of the field. The Panther defense really stepped up stopping the Raider run, and on the fourth down, Jaden Morris sacked the quarterback. This gave the ball back to the Panthers, and they went on a scoring frenzy. On the second play of the drive, Jacoby Nichols went 67 yards for the TD. The Panther defense turned up the pressure, and the Raiders fumbled the ball on their next possession. Once again Collins went to the air to find Elliott wide open on a 40 plus yard TD pass. This ran the score to 25-6 Panthers. By the half, the score stood at 25-12 Panthers.
The second half started, and the Panthers had the ball but couldn’t get it in on a goal to go situation. The Raiders couldn’t move the ball either, and Nick Williams blocked the punt. Clay had the ball and attempted a field goal, but it was blocked. It looked like both defenses were working overtime. The Raiders tried a fake punt which netted them nothing but giving the ball back to the Panthers with great field position. It was Collins back to work finding Nichols in the end zone turning the score up top 31-12. The ball went back and forth until Collins once again hit Elliot for a 50 plus yarder. This catch was different as Elliott had to deal with a ball that didn’t want to be caught. He finally secured it and ran it in for the TD. Clay went to their runners, and Brody Scarbro’s runs set up a five-yard run by Blake Coleman to end the season for the Raiders. Final Score Panthers 44, Raiders 12.
This underdog victory will send the Panthers to the quarterfinals against Philip Barbor on Friday, Nov. 21. If these Panthers continue to play the way they did Friday night… who knows. It’s getting close to that time of year; do you believe in miracles?
Stats for the game include 503 yards total offense. Cooper Collins was 9-15 for 345 total yards with five TD passes and one interception. Joel Elliott caught six passes for 240 yards and three TDs. Jacoby Nichols caught two passes for 103 yards, had four carries for 75 yards and scored three TDs. Brody Scarbro had eight carries for 96 yards followed by Blake Coleman who had five carries for 12 yards and a TD.
On defense, it was Blake Coleman with 15 tackles. Brody Scarbro had eleven tackles, one for a loss and a forced fumble. James Grose had nine tackles with one for a loss. Nick Williams had nine and a half tackles with two for a loss and one forced fumble. Jaden Morris had five tackles, two for a loss and one sack. Kohan Ramsey had eight tackles and a fumble recovery along with Jaxon Brown with eight tackles and a sack.
This underdog victory will send the Panthers to the quarterfinals against Philip Barbor on Friday, November 21st. If these Panthers continue to play the way they did Friday night…who knows? It’s getting close to that time of year; do you believe in miracles?
