Cam Potts runs into a mass of defenders on this goal-line play at Central on 9/1/23.(Photo:BillynthiaHill)

Rhea County Drops Road Game 14-7 at Knoxville Central High School

Knoxville, TN -- 9/1/23

Rhea County Football traveled to Knoxville to play Central High School of Knoxville on Friday, September 1, 2023. Eagles came in with 2-0 record and knew this would be a battle. Stats on this one shows a close game and in the end the Bobcat defense made a goal line stand and followed that with big play to give Bobcats a 14-7 win. Eagles also suffered a couple of significant injures that will be evaluated and could cost the services of a couple of key players in the coming weeks. The unavailability of those players obviously hurt the Eagles, but much like the Red Bank loss of their quarterback the week before, injuries are "part of the game", sometimes bad for the other team and sometimes bad for you. Defense had great effort, just come up one play short on stops. Turnovers weren't bad numbers wise. Penalties, as seems the case many times cost more than the penalty yard as they at times erased big gains. Loss made for a long trip back home for the Eagles. Eagles will host Howard Tech on 9/8/23 with 7:30 kickoff and then Cleveland High School on 9/15/23.

Eagles received opening kickoff and Ethan Davis returned ball to 25. Hunter Crowe had 25-yard gain to Central 49 yard-line. Central came up with interception three plays into the series at the 20 and ball was returned to 45 of Eagles. Busted coverage led to a wide open J.J. Smith and quarterback Cameron Bingham. Kicker Devon Cole converted the kick for the 7-0 lead midway through first quarter. Eagles received the ball and ran kickoff back to 30. Hunter Crowe then found a big hole blasted by his offensive line and ran for a 50-yard gain down to the 10 yard-line. A couple of plays later Mickel found the endzone for the Eagle touchdown. Austin Fugate converted the kick for 7-7 tie with 4 minutes left in first quarter.

Central returned the kickoff to the 36 yard-line. Bobcats moved the ball just over the midfield line, but Eagles held, forcing a very good punt, which pinned the Eagles at their own 5 yard-line. But Cam Potts extricated the Eagles out of the hole with nice run to midfield. Eagles earned a couple of first downs and things looked good on Davis run to around the six-yard line, but penalty put the Eagles back to the Bobcat 40. First quarter ended during the drive. Egles needed the 19 yard-line but on 4th down, they came up short, giving Central back. Bobcats flooded the right side and the result was an open receiver in the middle. Bobcats moved the ball to their own 48. Drive stalled and Central punted from the Eagle's 41, and ball went into endzone, giving Rhea ball at 20. A couple of Davis runs later, Eagles looked to be at the 40, but holding penalty set the Eagles back inside their 30 and eventually they punted to the 28 of Central.

Bobcats used a couple of Johson runs to move out to 40 and then completed a pass to the Eagle's side of 50 but nice hit by Davis forced a fumble, recovered by Ace Robinson at the Eagle 45. Eagles almost struck paydirt with Davis halfback pass but it was slightly underthrown and Keshawn Smith went to ground on the catch, but Eagle had the ball at the Bobcat 30. Penalties and a Bobcat sack pushed the Eagles back past midfield. A couple of plays later Rhea County punted down to the 20 and Bobcats took the fair-catch. and then came halftime.

Bobcats received second half kickoff and returned ball to 25. 3 plays Serices led to punt and Eagles setup at their 44. Another 3 play possession ended up with Bobcats at their 18 after unreturned punt. A long pass play moved the ball across midfield(45) on a play, Eagles came within an eyelash of intercepting. A penalty and Johnson run put the ball at 40. Another penalty and Johnson run put the ball inside the 30. Bobcats had a nice run down inside the 5 before penalty moved the ball back to the 23. Drive stalled and Bobcats missed the field goal attempt, give Eagles ball. Ethan Davis had a nice run to the 40 wiped out by flag and Davis was a little hobbled after the tackle. Cam Potts then had nice run to the 45. Potts and Crowe had some nice runs to move the ball past midfield as the third quarter ended with 7-7 score.

During the drive, the Eagles seemed to have found some weakness in the middle of the line and ran mostly up-the-middle and continued to move the ball all the way inside the 5. Eventually the Eagles were faced with 4th and long 1 and did not dent the endzone, give Bobcats the ball with 99 yards to go. Despite a couple of penalties, the Bobcats moved the ball out to the 20 and then Frank Johnson IV made the play-of-the-game with the 80-yard touchdown run over the right side of their line with 4:52 left in game. Successful kick moved the lead to 14-7 for Bobcats. Still enough time for Eagles to tie the score. Cam Potts had nice return to the 40 to put the Eagles 60 yards from the endzone. Carr had a sneak for a first down and then Mason Ford had a nice run down to the 27 with around 3 minutes remaining. Eagles stalled and a 4th down pass attempt was never made as Bobcats swarmed the quarterback and Eagles turned the ball over on downs at the Bobcat 37 with 1:48 remaining in the game. Johnson had big run for first down just across midfield and Eagles could not stop the clock with less than 1 minute remaining. Time ran out and Eagles had lost a tough one 14-7.