Class 4a AP Top 10 Week 8 Results and Playoff Scenario

How the 4A AP Poll Top 10 Fared:

1. Red Bank (8-0) def Brainerd 42-8

2. Crockett County (8-0) def Gibson Co 56-8

3. Giles County (7-1) def Lewis Co 22-0

4. Liberty Magnet (7-1) def Bolivar Central 45-7

5. Claiborne County (7-1) def Cumberland Gap 28-26

6. Brainerd (6-2) lost to #1 Red Bank 8-42

7. Creek Wood (7-1) def Montgomery Central 28-14

(tie) David Lipscomb (5-3) def CPA 13-10

9. Knoxville Fulton (6-3) def Carter 42-22

10. Jackson South Side (5-3) lost to Chester Co 30-33

Others receiving points:
-Spring Hill def Marshall Co 42-25
-Greeneville def Chuckey Doak 57-13
-Maplewood (idle)
-Whites Creek lost to Pearl Cohn 0-20

4A Playoff Scenario after Week 8:

D1 None
D2 Claiborne Co, Greeneville
D3 Fulton, Gibbs
D4 Scott Co
D5 None
D6 Red Bank, Brainerd, East Ridge
D7 None
D8 Dekalb Co
D9 Greenbrier, White House
D10 David Lipscomb, Maplewood
D11 Creek Wood
D12 Giles Co, Spring Hill
D13 Crockett Co, Haywood Co, Obion Co
D14 Liberty Tech, Lexington, Chester Co
D15 Kingsbury
D16 Sheffield, Fairley

Wild Card Teams (w/Wild Card Ranking):

Whites Creek (5-3) #17
Page (5-3) #18
Livingston Acad (5-3) #20
Jackson SSide (5-3) #21
Chatt Central (4-4) #23
Dyersburg (4-4) #27
Ripley (4-4) #28

Wild Card Non-Qualifiers
D9 Sycamore (4-4) #29
D3 Carter (4-5) #30
D15 Trezavant (4-4) #35

Falcons Clinch Playoff Birth with 42-22 win Over Carter

Photos Courtesy of John Valentine

Scoreboard:

-------------1st---2nd---3rd---4th----TTL
FULTON--------14----7----21----0------42
CARTER--------0----10----6-----6------22

1ST
FUL--S.Allen 87 yd Kickoff Return (Kicked Failed)
FUL--Golliday 16 yd Run (Winters pass to Pitchford)
2ND
CAR--Troutman 1 yd Run (Combs PAT)
FUL--Golliday 13 yd Run (McKeehan PAT)
CAR--Combs 23 yd FG
3rd
FUL--Winters 5 yd Run (McKeehan PAT)
FUL--Golliday 24 yd Run (McKeehan PAT)
FUL--Winters 19 yd Pass to Pitchford (McKeehan PAT)
CAR--Troutman 1 yd Run (PAT blocked by J Mynatt)
4th
CAR--Kirkland 6 yd Pass to Troutman (2pt conv failed)


Special Teams Difference for Fulton 42-22: (KNS Coverage)

Disastrous special-team breakdowns by Carter High School opened the door for Fulton to get back on the winning track at home.

Fulton's Steven Allen returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and the playoff-bound Falcons - they missed out last season - rolled to a 42-22 District 3-AA victory over mistake-prone Carter on a chilly Friday night.

"I was glad to see our special teams finally show up tonight," Fulton coach Buck Coatney said. "We've been working on kickoff returns a lot the last three or four weeks. Tonight we actually did a good job on the wall and our backs ran where they were supposed to run."

Carter got burned again on special teams to start the second half. Josh Smith fumbled the kickoff and Fulton's Antonio Barfield recovered. Fulton quarterback Ben Winters plowed in from five yards on the next play and the Falcons led 28-10.

Fulton (6-3, 3-2 District 3-AA) won for just the second time in its last eight games at Bob Black Field and beat Carter (4-5, 2-3) for the seventh consecutive time. More importantly the Falcons moved into third place a half game ahead of idle Gibbs (5-3, 2-2).

"This secures us a first-round playoff game at home, if we win out," Coatney said.

Marco Golliday ran for three touchdowns and led the ground-oriented Falcons with 120 yards on 14 carries. Golliday, filling in at tailback for injured Dametrius Thomas (separated shoulder), scored on runs of 16, 13 and 24 yards.

"Marco is probably the fastest kid on our team," Coatney said. "He is probably our best defensive end. He has been very unselfish all year and he played great game."

Winters completed three of nine passes for 25 yards. His longest was a 19-yard TD toss to Micah Pitchford. They also combined for a 2-point conversion.

Most of the Hornets' success came on the ground. Dwayne Troutman was Carter's best with 132 yards on 30 tries. The quarterback scored on runs of one and two yards.

Troutman completed three of 11 passes and suffered three interceptions. The do-everything senior also lined up wide and caught two passes from Ryan Kirkland for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Five turnovers stymied Carter. Troutman's first pass was pilfered by Antonio Barfield and set up Golliday's first score. Bart Satterfield picked off Troutman's second pass.

The injury-riddled Falcons are off next week and that's important.

"The injury bug has bitten us pretty good," Coatney said. "How many did we have out? Ten. We'll be getting a few of them back."

Tennessee Class 4A Scoreboard (Week 6)

How the AP Top 10 fared:

1. Chatt Red Bank-----def Chatt Central 35-0
2. Crockett Co--------def Dyersburg 21-14
3. Giles Co-----------def Hickman Co 56-0
4. Liberty Magnet-----def #8 Jackson SouthSide 47-0
5. Fulton-------------def Knox Gibbs 42-14
6. Nash Maplewood-----def Nash Pearl Cohn 14-6
7. Nash Whites Creek--lost to David Lipscomb 14-41
8. Jackson SouthSide--lost to #4 Liberty 0-47
9. Dyersburg----------lost to Crockett Co 14-21
10. Chatt Central------lost to #1 Red Bank 0-35

Notables from other 4A polls:

Nash David Lipscomb---def Whites Creek 41-14
Greeneville-----------def W. Greene 44-0
Page------------------def E. Hickman 33-7
Mem Fairley-----------def Oakhaven 27-8
Mem Sheffield---------def GW Carver 48-20
Chatt Brainerd--------def Chatt Howard 42-14
Polk County-----------def Chatt Notre Dame 43-0
White House-----------lost to Nash GoodPasture 28-32

District 3-4A:

Fulton----------------def Gibbs 42-14
Carter----------------def Pigeon Forge 21-0
Gatlinburg Pittman----def Union Co 42-18
Austin East (Off)

Fulton v Gibbs Postgame

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Fulton scores early, late vs. Gibbs (KNS)
Thomas rushes for 190 yards in 42-14 win

Fulton built a big lead over Gibbs, gave some of it back then finished off a blowout in the fourth quarter, 42-14, on Friday night at Earnest Whited Field.
"I thought we played a good first-half offense," said Fulton's coach Buck Coatney. "We made some big plays."
Fulton's lead was 21-0 by early in the second quarter. The first score came on an 81-yard, 10-play drive on the opening possession. On second-and-1 from the 7, quarterback Dan Winters hit Micah Pitchford in the right corner of the end zone. Brad McKeehan kicked the extra point.
Fulton (5-2, 2-1 in District 3-AA), was right back in business when the ensuing kickoff was fumbled. On third-and-3 from the Eagles' 18, Winters passed back to Steve Allen, who then hit Xavier Bridges in the end zone for a 14-0 lead.
Gibbs drove to the Falcons' 5 but a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
Fulton marched again, this time 92 yards on 10 plays. The score came when Demetrius Thomas broke a 27-yard run on third-and-10.
For the game, the explosive Thomas ran for 190 yards on 17 carries.
"I just tried to do what I do all the time and rely on my O-line," Thomas said.
"D-man has been playing great on both sides of the ball," Coatney said.
Gibbs finally came to life when Josh Richards took a screen pass from Chris Legg and went 70 yards for a touchdown.
With five minutes to play in the half, the lead was cut to 20-7.
Fulton answered right back when Thomas scored from 17 yards out.
Gibbs (4-3, 1-2 in 3-AA) wasn't done. With 17 seconds left in the half, Legg hit Zack Batts over the middle on a 51-yard touchdown pass.
Fumbles and punts for both teams dominated the third quarter, but Fulton scored again in the fourth when Marco Golliday burst through the middle for a 47-yard score.
After an interception, the Falcons finished the scoring Javonte Cotner scored from 12 yards out.
"I think we got complacent on offense in the third," Coatney said. "We buckled up defensively in the second half and finally scored a few points in the fourth quarter."
For the game, the Falcons ground out 298 yards on 38 carries. Winters threw for 144 yards and a score on 10-of-16 passing.
"We didn't play our best," said Eagles coach Brad Conley. "I give a lot of credit to Coach Coatney and his staff."

Thomas Rolls Up 190 Yards, Keys Fulton's 42-14 Win over Gibbs (KnoxSportsOnline):

Dametrius Thomas rolled up a season-high 190 yards rushing and scored TDs on runs of 26 and 17 yards Friday night to lead Knox Fulton to a 42-14 District 3, 2A victory at Knox Gibbs."It was good win for us,'' said coach Buck Coatney, "especially since it was in the district. We had a good first half, didn't do much in the third quarter, but then added two more in the fourth quarter, so that was good.''So was Thomas."He had a great game for us,'' said Coatney.Ben Winters also had a good game, hitting 10 of 16 passes for 144 yards and a TD pass to Micah Pitchford of 7 yards. Steven Allen also had a TD pass, hitting Buddy Bridges for a 17-yard scoring strike. Marco Golliday and Javonte Cotner added TD runs."They hit us with a couple long pass plays there in the second quarter,'' said Coatney. "We're not used to that happening.''

Chris Legg hit Josh Richards for a 70-yard TD and Zack Batts for a 51-yard score, but that was all the Fulton defense would allow. Winters led the defense with seven tackles, while the Falcons registered five sacks -- two of them by Fred Elder. Here are stats on the game.

Knox Fulton 42, Knox Gibbs 14.

....................... KF....... ........... KG

First Downs.................. 21........ ........... 9

Rushes/Yds................. 38-298............. 25-57

Passing Yds................. 161...... ........... 161

Total Offense................ 359.................. 218

Passes A-C-I................ 11-17-0............ 9-20-1

Fumbles/Lost............... 4-2................... 2-2

Punts/Average.............. 2-26.5.............. 4-28.0

Penalties/Yds............... 6-67................. 6-30

Score by quarters:

Knox Fulton................ 14........ 14........ 0......... 14 -- 42

Knox Gibbs................. 0......... 14........ 0......... 0 -- 14

Scoring Plays:

KF -- Micah Pitchford, 7 pass from Ben Winters (McKeehan kick)

KF -- Buddy Bridges, 17 pass from Steven Allen (McKeehan kick)

KF -- Dametrius Thomas, 26 run (kick fails)

KG -- Josh Richards, 70 pass from Chris Legg (Hunley kick)

KF -- Thomas, 17 run (Winters pass to Antonio Barfield)

KG -- Zack Batts, 51 pass from Legg (Hunley kick)

KF -- Marco Golliday, 47 run (McKeehan kick)

KF -- Javonte Cotner, 10 run (McKeehan kick)

Fulton and Gibbs Renew Series

Fulton and Gibbs meet for the 15th time and first time since 2004 in a District 3-AA/Class 4A matchup with playoff implications. Fulton leads the all-time series 11-3, and has a 6-1 record in games played at Gibbs. The schools were members of Region 2-3A from 1993 to 2004. The Falcons currently hold a four game winning streak in the series, with the Eagles last victory coming at Fulton in 2000.

Both teams come into the game with identical 4-2 records. Gibbs is one of the top scoring teams in the state, averaging 37.5 points per game. Fulton averages 20 points per game. The Falcons are ranked 5th in this week’s AP Class 4A poll. Last week, Dametrius Thomas had a rushing and passing touchdown as the Falcons held on to defeat West 14-13. It was the lowest number of points the Falcons have scored in a win since 2003. Fulton has been a fast starting team in 2009. The Falcons are outscoring their opponents 93-26 in the first half this year. Gibbs won at Cumberland Gap last week 46-7. Chris Legg and Andy Hibbett both had 3 touchdowns in the victory.

Coach Brad Conley’s Eagles are one of the most improved teams in East Tennessee. Their four wins this year matches the most wins they have had in a season since 2004. Both of Gibbs’ losses in 2009 have come in overtime. Gibbs has made the playoffs in each of the last three years. The Eagles have made 11 playoff appearances, and have advanced to the 2nd round on five occasions. Gibbs is one of the top scoring teams in the state; averaging 37.5 points per game. QB Chris Legg is a dual threat: He has passed for 393 yards and five TDs, and rushed for 325 yards and eight touchdowns. Legg’s favorite target is Justin Treadway. He has caught nine passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns. Andy Hibbett leads all Gibbs rushers with 421 yards. The Gibbs secondary has recorded seven interceptions this year. Conley’s record at Gibbs is 6-11.

Offensive Notes

-Fulton is outscoring opponents 50-6 in the 1st quarter this year, but they have only scored six points in the 4th quarter.
-Jared Mynatt’s 79-yard TD run on the last play of the game against Pigeon Forge gave the Falcons the only points they have scored in the 4th quarter this year. It was also Mynatt’s first career carry and touchdown.
-Junior RB Dametrius Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards in 5 of his last 9 games, including a 130 yard effort against Catholic last year. His career high is 194 yards against Scott in 2008.
-Mynatt’s 79-yard touchdown run against Pigeon Forge is Fulton’s longest offensive play of the year.
-Senior Xavier Bridges and Junior Javonte Cotner recorded their first career receptions against Morristown East.
-Quarterback Ben Winters threw his first two interceptions of the season in week five against West.
-QB Ben Winters will be making his 18th career start tonight. He is 9-8 as a starting quarterback.

-Winters’ best career start came against Tyner in 2007. He completed 9 of 18 passes for 176 yards and 3 TDs. It was his first career start.
-Winters has completed 152 of 283 passes for 2155 yards and 21 TDs in his career at Fulton.
-QB Nick Lethgo completed his 1st career pass in the Austin-East game. His only other prior pass attempt came in 2007 vs. Stone Memorial.
-The Fulton offense is averaging 240 yards per game. (137.5 yards rushing, 102.5 yards passing)
-Fulton has committed 9 turnovers this year, and is +2 in turnover margin on the year.
-The Falcons have only converted on 1 of 10 4th down conversion opportunities this year.-Despite having the leader District 3-AA in passing yards and receiving yards, the Falcons have not been able to hit a home run this year through the air. Fulton’s longest passing play in 2009 is only 36 yards

Defensive Notes

-The Fulton defense is allowing an average of 198 yards per game. (120.2 rushing, 77.8 passing) Last year, Fulton gave up 219.4 yards per game.
-Fulton is +2 in turnover margin for the season.
-Antonio Barfield recorded Fulton’s first interception in the Alcoa game.
-Sr. Quientest Vinson led the Falcons in tackles last year with 82 stops as a linebacker. He has moved to defensive tackle in 2009 and leads the Falcons with 46 stops.
-Fulton has given up 67 of the 93 points allowed in the second half.
-The Falcons are averaging just 1.8 defensive penalties per game.
-Fulton recorded eight sacks, and 14 minus yard tackles in the West game.

PrepXtra Preseason report:

Heroes:

Justin Treadway (WR, senior, 6-1, 180), Chayse Lyon (RB, senior, 5-8, 165), Brenton Bates (DT, senior, 6-0, 250). Treadway had a team-high 15 catches in 2008, Lyons led the team with more than 400 rushing yards, and Bates was a standout on the defensive front and will do double-duty as the starting center.

Breakout Players:

Seth Brewton (slotback, senior), Ryan Oakley (DE, senior, 6-0, 175). Brewton doesn’t have much size, but he’s a shifty, elusive runner, and that will give the Eagles another look to throw at defenses. Oakley has added some muscle in the offseason, and his hard work will lead to playing time this season.

What’s Good:

There is plenty of experience returning in the offensive and defensive backfield, the byproduct of playing sophomores in 2008. Quarterback Chris Legg was forced into duty as a sophomore and has a season of running the triple option under his belt. His top target returns in Treadway, as well as the top running back in Lyon, along with junior running back Andy Hibbitt, who ran for 200 yards. Defensive line is solid with the return of Bates, DT Nick Brown, and end Brice Clark.

Help Needed:

Conley spent much of the preseason working on the kicking game, one of his primary concerns heading into 2009. Also of major concern: the Eagles lost five senior linemen from the 2008 offense, so Conley is counting on some young linemen to step forward and fill that void.

GoEagles.Net

Fulton vs West Postgame

West Has Fulton On Ropes, But Lets Falcons Free, 14-13 (Knoxsportsonline):

Scott Cummings was being praised for his call at the end of the first half that got his Knox West team back into the game, but in the end he was doing a "mea culpa" for not giving the Rebels a chance to win.

"I take the blame,'' said Cummings, after his team fell to rival Knox Fulton, 14-13. "I made two of stupidest calls I have ever made at the end. All I had to do was run two dives into the line and we kick a field goal and win.''

West, which fell behind 14-0, used a hook-and-ladder play that was brilliantly executed on the final play of the first half to pull within 14-7 at halftime. The Rebels then got two George Bullock field goals from 31 yards out each in the third quarter to pull within one.

West was in position at the end when the riverboat gambler in Cummings spurred him to try for more after reaching the Fulton 26 with 2:30 to play.

Instead of setting up for the field goal try, Cummings called a sweep and his team was called for an illegal chop block and set back to the 36. Then, on third-and-13, Christian Francis was sacked for the seventh time at the 46 and the Rebels were left to attempt a halfback pass from Mickey Chait to Stephen Gyebison on fourth down to end the threat. A dive into the line even from the 36 would have given his team a chance, said Cummings.

"We have two of the best kickers in the state (Bullock and Tanner Thompson). Either one of them can make it from 50 yards,'' said Cummings. "I just didn't give them a chance.''

The hook-and-ladder came when Francis fired a pass to Alex Miller 10 yards downfield. Miller then turned and lateraled to Thompson who had a clear lane the last 30 yards down the sidelines.

"We practice that every Thursday,'' said Cummings, "but this is the first time we used it."

"We should have been in a prevent there,'' said Fulton coach Buck Coatney. "That's my fault. We didn't make a play there, but we did there at the end.

"I knew West was a very good football team so for them to play us tough like this was not a surprise.''

Coatney used a little trickery of his own to score with 25 seconds left in the first half. Ben Winters tossed the ball to Dametrius Thomas, who moved to his right, stopped and threw back to Winters, who sprinted the opposite direction and caught a wide-open pass from Thomas for a 16-yard score.

"That's the second time we're run it this year,'' said Coatney, "but the first time it's worked."

The other Fulton score was a gift, set up by a fumble recovery by Quintest Vinson at the Rebel 1 in the first quarter.

West falls to 1-4 and has lost to four ranked opponents -- Sullivan South, Maryville, Knox Farragut and Fulton.

Players and parents from Sullivan South were on hand for the game to show their appreciation of how West handled the death of South lineman Jake Logue at the same field on Aug. 21. A large rock is painted with Logue's number 54 in South's colors. South had a bye week and play rival Dobyns-Bennett in a home game next Friday.

West and South will play again next year in Kingsport, but Cummings would not commit beyond that.

"We already play Fulton non-conference each year and, given how tough our district is, I'm not sure I want to commit to playing a program as good as South every year. That might make me look not so bright,'' said Cummings.

Fulton improves to 4-2 with its two losses coming to No. 1 3A power Alcoa and to District 3, 2A rival Austin-East. The Falcons stay on the road for their fifth game in the first six, traveling to Knox Gibbs. West plays at William Blount next Friday.

Knox Fulton 14, Knox West 16

......................................KF....KW
First Downs......................9.......7
Rushes/Yards Gained..25-74..38-124
Passing Yards...............113.......129
Total Offense..................187.......253
Passes A-C-I.............16-7-2.....9-6-0
Fumbles/Lost................0-0.........2-2
Punts/Average............4-30.7...3-38..3
Penalties/Yrds............4-44........3-38

Score by quarters:
Knox Fulton...............6....8....0....0 -- 14
Knox West................0....7....6....0 -- 13

Scoring Plays:
Fulton -- Dametrius Thomas, 1 run (kick blocked)
Fulton -- Ben Winters, 16 pass from Thomas (Thomas run)
West -- Alex Miller and Tanner Thompson, 40 pass from Christian Francis (George Bullock kick)
West -- Bullock, 31 field goal
West -- Bullow, 31 field goal

Individual Statistics
Rushing:
Fulton: Thomas 8-49; Cotner 2-9; Winters 10-9; Golliday 3-8; Chapman 2-(-1).
West: Freeman 10-78; Simmons 11-62; Francis 16-(-9); Gyebison 1-(-7).

Passing:
Fulton: Winters 6-15-2, 97; Thomas 1-1-0, 16 TD.
West: Francis 5-7-0, 114 TD; Chait 1-2-0, 15.

Receiving:
Fulton: Pitchford 3-42; Thomas 1-32; Allen 1-13; Bridges 1-10; Winters 1-16 TD
West: Miller 3-60; Thompson 1-29; Gyebison 1-29; Freeman 1-11.

Fulton v Pigeon Forge Postgame

Knoxsportsonline Coverage:

Dametrius Thomas rushed for 114 yards and two TDs Friday night as Knox Fulton got back into the win column with a 48-7 rout of Pigeon Forge in a District 3, 2A game.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak. The Falcons, now 3-2 and 1-1, had lost games to Austin-East and Alcoa
Thomas had TD runs of 28 and 41 yards in the first half as Fulton evoked the "slaughter rule."
"The clock ran continously the entire second half,'' said coach Buck Coatney. "Pigeon Forge had the ball just about the entire half. When we got it, Jared Mynatt broke a 65-yard TD run on the first play -- on the first carry of his career.''
Ben Winters scored on a 28-yard run, Javonte Cotner onn a 3-yard run and Amir Chapman returned from injury to score on a 6-yard run.
Michael Lombrano rushed for 112 yards on the Tigers' only TD on a short run.

Score by quarters:

Fulton 21 21 0 6 48
PF 0 0 0 7 7

1st Q
FUL-10:21 WINTERS 28 RUN (MCKEEHAN KICK)
FUL-4:29 THOMAS 28 RUN (MCKEEHAN KICK)
FUL-1:58 STEVE ALLEN 47 PUNT RETURN (MCKEEHAN KICK)

2ND Q

FUL-6:26 JAVONTE COTNER 3 RUN (MCKEEHAN KICK)FUL-3:48 AMIR CHAPMAN 6 RUN (MCKEEHAN KICK)
FUL-0:15 DAMETRIUS THOMAS 41 RUN (MCKEEHAN KICK)

4TH Q
PF-0:59 MICHAEL LOMBRANA 1 RUN (CHASE TRAVIS KICK)
FUL-0:00 JARED MYNATT 79 RUN (NO CONVERSION)

-----------------------FHS PF
1ST DOWNS----------10 10

RUSH/YARDS---18/255 46/150
PASS---------------4/5/0 2/7/0
PASS YD.--------------76 4
TOT OFF---------23/331 53/154
FUMB----------------2/2 3/2
PUNT--------------1/52 5/33.0
PEN-----------------7/44 2/25
TOP----------------13:36 34:24

Individual Leaders:

Rushing
FUL-DAMETRIUS THOMAS 7/114/2TDs

Passing
FUL-BEN WINTERS 4/4 76 YDS

Receiving
FUL-BUDDY BRIDGES 2/21

FUL-MICAH PITCHFORD 1/36

Tackles
FUL-MYCHAL CASON 11

Photos Courtesy of John Valentine

Falcons v Tornadoes Postgame/Sinkhole Coverage

In what was a bizarre turn of events, Fulton and Alcoa completed their suspended game this past Friday with the Tornadoes securing a 27-7 victory. The game had been suspended due to a large sinkhole that emerged on the home sidelines at Fulton's Bob Black field during Thursday night's game. With 6:33 left in the forth quarter, Fulton Head Coach Buck Coatney noticed the hole and notified officials. The officials then notified the TSSAA and a decision was made to complete the game the following night at Alcoa's Goddard field. The sinkhole appeared to be about one foot in diameter at the surface, but upon further investigation it was discovered that there was actually an area about 12 feet deep that had been caving under. The posponement of the game due to the sinkhole received national attention, as it was mentioned in the USAToday, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and on MSNBC. Here is other coverage of the game and the infamous Sinkhole:

Sinkhole Stops Fulton/Alcoa game: (WATE)

Sinkhole on Fulton's football field forces game suspension: (WVLT)

Sinkhole repairs on Fulton High School football field: (WATE)

Football Game Called whenSinkhole Opens up: (USAToday)

Tornadoes Sink Fulton, Improve to 4-0: (Maryville Daily Times)

Sinking to the Occasion: (KNS-PrepXtra)

Falcons Host Alcoa in Home Opener on Thursday Night

Fulton and Alcoa will meet for the 9th time at Bob Black Field tonight. The Tornadoes hold a 6-2 advantage in the series. The Falcons will try to bounce back from a heartbreaking 20-14 loss to Austin-East last week. Fulton failed to score points on 5 different possessions inside the Roadrunner 35 yard line. 4th down continues to be a problem for Fulton. The Falcons were 0 of 5 on 4th down conversions last week, while allowing A-E to convert both of their 4th down opportunities. Alcoa has won 5 consecutive state championships, and enters the game 3-0 following a 21-0 shutout at Loudon last week.

Fulton-Alcoa Series History

The Fulton Falcons and Alcoa Tornadoes meet for the 9th time this evening at Bob Black Field. The teams have combined to account for 13 state championships. Fulton and Alcoa met every season from 1985-1990 when the schools were members of the old district 3-AA, a period where Alcoa returned to the pinnacle of AA football. The teams met again in 2005 and 2006, with Alcoa embarrassing Fulton 48-6 in ’05, and Fulton stunning the Tornadoes 24-21 in ’06. Alcoa leads the all-time series 6-2. Before the 2006 win, Fulton’s lone victory in the series came in 1986 on the dedication night of Bob Black Field. The game went into overtime before Fulton came away with a 10-7 victory. Mike Potter, who was a FHS assistant coach from 1994-2008, kicked the winning field goal. The Tornadoes have a 3-1 advantage in the series in games played at Fulton. The Falcons have been shutout three times against Alcoa.

Tornado Notes

The Tornadoes are 10-time state champions, and have won 5 consecutive class 2A state championships…Alcoa’s all-time record since 1924 is 576-269-21…Gary Rankin’s career record is 296-60 which gives him the 2nd most wins of any active coach in Tennessee. Rankin is 44-4 in his 4 years at Alcoa…The Tornadoes have won 16 consecutive games…The last team Alcoa has lost to other than Maryville was Fulton in 2006…Their win over Maryville was Alcoa’s first since 2000…RB Jaron Toney has scored 12 touchdowns this year through three games.

Poll Watching

Poll ----------Fulton------------Alcoa(3A)
AP--------------2-----------------1
Earl Nall--------5-----------------1
Sonny Moore----4----------------1
Murphy Fair---NR----------------1
tnvarsity.com--NR---------------NR
maxpreps.com--37----------------5
Massey---------57----------------7

The Sonny Moore poll has Fulton listed as the number 35 team in the entire state of Tennessee. Alcoa is the number 2 team in the state.

Alcoa Tornadoes PrepXtra Preseason Report:

If Alcoa rips off a sixth-consecutive state championship this season, don't be surprised to see an asterisk attached to its streak.
But its lone purpose would be as an indicator that the first five championships were won in Class 2A and the sixth in 3A.
Under the TSSAA's new classifications for 2009-13, Alcoa was bumped up and will test its program on a higher stage.
That has some of the Alcoa players excited; they may actually get to play in the second half more frequently.
Coach Gary Rankin didn't build in any fluff into the lineup of opponents, adding Chattanooga Howard in July to complete the 10-game schedule.
"We don't have very many easy games," he said. "We've had too many of those in the past, maybe. Our non-region schedule is what's a killer for us. We open with Bell County, who is a 4A state champion out of Kentucky. They're a good, good solid football team. Then you got Maryville, Fulton, Howard and Loudon in those first five games.
"It's going to be demanding."
But its hard not to predict the same results. Alcoa returns a bundle of playmakers on offense, which could mask some of its shortcomings with some defensive newcomers.
Maybe no player will be relied on more than senior Tyler Robinson. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound tight end/defensive lineman is one of the state's top players and recruits.
While he has much attached to his name - including a Mr. Football award and scholarship offers from Virginia Tech and Kentucky - he doesn't want to be remembered as part of the team that halted the title streak.
"Senior class, you don't want to be the one to ruin it, mess it up, you know?" said Robinson. "You can't take it for granted.
"You can't take anyone lightly. What did Maryville win - 74 in a row (until is lost last year in the 4A state championship)? You can't take anybody lightly."
Running backs Jaron Toney (Alcoa's leading rusher last year) and man-child Taharin Tyson (5-11, 230) will carry the offense until new quarterbacks Austin Tallant and Ryan Stoutt find their comfort zones and go-to receivers are sorted.
"(Tyson) used to be a little chubby and have that baby fat on him," said Toney, who scored 18 touchdowns last season. "But he's slimmed down and gotten his speed up. So I think that will help out a lot this year."
Rundown

Heroes: Tyler Robinson (TE/DL, senior, 6-4, 250, Mr. Football lineman winner, PrepXtra defensive player of the year, Division I prospect), Jaron Toney (RB/DB, senior, 5-9, 165, 846 yards and 18 TDs last season), Taharin Tyson (FB/LB, junior, 5-11, 230, 779 yards and eight TDs in 2008).

Breakout Players: Quarterbacks Austin Tallant (junior, 5-11, 175) and Ryan Stoutt (senior, 6-0, 185) likely will shine on offense. Tallant and Stoutt double as defenders (in the secondary). Others: Steven Isom, (WR/DB, junior, 6-1) Chaz Barnes (wide receiver, senior, 6-3), Lajuan Warfield (5-10, sophomore, WR/DB).

What's Good: Alcoa has three senior starting offensive linemen, and its backfield is as deep as any program's in the state. While Toney and Tyson will log a majority of the carries, Vanderbilt Hambrick and Darrell Warren are no slouches.
Help Needed: Alcoa is young in the secondary. It not only lost to graduation a coach and playmaker on the field in wide receiver/defensive back Sam Thompson, it also lost its kicker and punter. Alcoa's only trusted pass-catcher is Robinson.

Falcons v Roadrunners Postgame

Austin-East 20, Knox Fulton 12

...................................................KF.....AE
First Downs...................................11......6
Rushes/Yards Gained.............37-150..25-35
Passing Yards..............................54......47
Total Offense..............................204......82
Passes A-C-I...........................6-17-0..4-8-0
Fumbles/Lost...............................1-0....4-1
Punts/Average........................2-25.0..4-30.5
Penalties/Yards.......................5-40....5-45

Score by quarters:
Knox Fulton.....................8....0....6....0 -- 14
Austin-East.....................6....0...14....0 -- 20

Scoring Plays:
KF -- Ben Winters, 2 run (Buddy Bridges pass from Winters)
AE -- Cordy Cox, 5 run (run failed)
KF -- Winters, 18 run (run failed)
AE -- Travie Pryor, 4 pass from Ricshon Johnson (run failed)
AE -- Cox, 3 run (Cox run)

Individual Statistics
Rushing:
Knox Fulton: Thoms 17-54; Winters 7-43; Cotner 5-18; Brown 2-17; Lethgo 1-13; Allen 4-9; Golliday 1-(-4).
Austin-East: Cox 11-28; King 6-20; Johnson 1-(-6); Oggs 7-(-7).

Passing:
Knox Fulton: Winters 4-14-0, 37 yards; Lethgo 2-3-0, 7 yards.
Austin-East: Johnson 3-7-0, 35 yards, 1 TD; Oggs, 1-1-0, 12 yards.
Receiving:
Knox Fulton: Thomas 2-24; Pitchford 2-20; Brown 1-6; Winters 1-4.
Austin-East: Robinson 1-25; Forbes 1-12; Wade 1-6; Pryor 1-4.

Fulton Travels to Austin East in Week 1 Battle of Crosstown Rivals

Game Notes provided courtesy of Fulton SID Russell Mayes:

Long-time rivals Fulton and Austin-East meet tonight in the District 3-AA opener for both schools…This will be the 42^nd meeting between the schools. The Roadrunners lead the all-time series 24-17…A Fulton win tonight would give the Falcons a 11-10 advantage in games played at Dusty Lennon Stadium…Fulton earned a 21-13 victory at Powell last week, while A-E dropped a heartbreaking 7-6 decision to Ooltewah… The Falcons are outscoring opponents 22-0 in the first half, but have been outscored 26-15 in the second half…The Falcon defense has forced 5 turnovers in its first 2 games this year……Fulton RB Dametrius Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards in 4 of his last 5 games. He ran for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns in last week’s win.

Fulton vs. A-E Series History

Austin-East is Fulton’s only opponent from 2008 held over to the 2009 schedule. The Fulton/A-E rivalry is considered one of the most hotly contested rivalries in East Tennessee. Though the teams have met 3 times in the playoffs since 2003, the new TSSAA classification system will find Fulton and A-E in separate classifications in 2009. Tonight is the 42^nd meeting between the schools, with A-E holding a 24-17 advantage in the all-time series. Fulton has played well in the past at Dusty Lennon Stadium. The teams have split the 20 games played on A-E’s home field. A detailed breakdown of the Fulton-AE series can be found in this week’s game notes.

Roadrunner Notes

If there is anyone who should challenge Alcoa in Class 3A this year, it should be Austin-East. The Roadrunners return 9 starters from a stout defense that helped A-E to a 10-3 record last year…A-E also boasts a strong sophomore class this year, led by QB D.J Oggs. Oggs has already tallied 217 rushing yards on 24 attempts this year…Coach Kwayu Graham is in his 5^th season at A-E and has a 34-18 record…The Roadrunners lost 7-6 last week at Class 6A Ooltewah. The Roadrunners had numerous opportunities inside the 20-yard line, but only got a 7-yard TD run from Travious Blair…A-E defeated Morristown East 26-21 in the season opener.

Poll Watching

Poll	Fulton(4A)	A-E (3A)
AP	1	3
Earl Nall	4	2
Sonny Moore	4	3
Murphy Fair	3	3
tnvarsity.com	NR	NR
maxpreps.com	37	45
Massey	50	57

The Sonny Moore poll has Fulton listed as the number 32 team in the entire state of Tennessee. Austin-East is the number 44 team in the state.

District 3-AA Statistical Leaders

Rushing	Carries	Yards	TD
Thomas (Fulton)	45	263	4
Troutman (Carter)	21	236	2
Oggs (A-E)	24	217	1
Cox (A-E)	23	169	2
Hibbett (Gibbs)	12	119	2
Receiving	Catches	Yards	TD
Bridges (Fulton)	7	56	0
Taylor (G-P)	5	77	0
Treadway (Gibbs)	5	70	2
Brown (Fulton)	5	50	0
Troutman (Carter)	4	57	0
Passing	Att/Comp	Yards	TD
Winters (Fulton)	21/31	228	1
Legg (Gibbs)	17/29	214	3
Whitaker (Carter)	16/25	186	2
Marshall (G-P)	14/27	171	1
Johnson (A-E)	6/14	64	0

Offensive Notes

-Fulton is outscoring opponents 22-0 in the 1^st half this year.

-Junior RB Dametrius Thomas ran for 125 yards and 2 TDs against Powell last week. He has rushed for over 100 yards in 4 of his last 5 games, including a 130 yard effort against Catholic last year. His career high is 194 yards against Scott in 2008.

-Thomas’ 70-yard touchdown run against Powell is Fulton’s longest offensive play of the year.

-Senior Xavier Bridges and Junior Javonte Cotner recorded their first career receptions against Morristown East.

-Quarterback Ben Winters broke a streak against Morristown West of throwing an interception in eight consecutive games.