Fulton/Jefferson Co. Scrimmage Coverage

   The Fulton Falcons hosted their second scrimmage of the preseason on Tuesday night as the Jefferson Co. Patriots traveled from Dumplin Valley to Bob Black Field. The Falcons got lots of quality reps in the game like scrimmage against the Class 6A. Chaton Mobley and Dorian Williamson each scored two touchdowns as FHS racked up five rushing and one passing TD in the scrimmage. The defense was tough throughout the night, allowing Jeff Co. only one score.

Former Fulton PA announcer J.D. Vaughn filed this report for the Morristown Citizen-Tribune.

Fulton-Jeff Co. Scrimmage Coverage

Fulton concludes its preseason work on Friday night in the 57th annual KOC Kick-Off Classic as they take on the Campbell Co. Cougars at West High School. All the action begins at 7pm. Fulton will play in the fourth of five quarters in Friday's jamboree. 

Thursday, Aug. 11th, 7:00pm @ Hardin Valley Academy

Anderson Co.  vs. Powell

Gibbs vs. AE

Carter vs. The King's Academy

Hardin Valley Academy vs. Central

Friday, Aug. 12th, 7:00pm @ West High School

Halls vs. Lenoir City

Bearden vs. South-Doyle

West vs. Karns

Fulton vs. Campbell Co.

Farragut vs. Webb

Fulton To Host Scrimmage with Rhea Co. And Cookeville Tomorrow

The 2016 Fulton Falcons have completed their first week in full pads and will host powerhouses Rhea Co. and Cookeville for a scrimmage on the new turf at Bob Black Field on Friday at 7pm. The Falcons return five offensive and three defensive starters in 2016, which means there will be lots of new faces getting work for the Falcons. One of the major keys for Fulton this year will be the development of the offensive and defensive lines. The success of this year's team will likely be in their hands. The coaching staff should learn a lot about their team after the scrimmage. 

Fulton squared off with Rhea Co. in a scrimmage last year. The Golden Eagles have won 23 games the last two years, and have advanced to the Class 5A semifinals in both of those years. Rhea Co. is a tough and physical football team that will line up in a Power-T formation and look to grind out yardage. Expect the Golden Eagles to compete with Knox West and Oak Ridge for a trip to the Class 5A BlueCross Bowl. 

Cookeville finished 8-4 last year and advanced to the 2nd Round of the Class 6A playoffs where they were eliminated by Maryville. The Cavs play in one of the toughest 6A regions in the state, squaring off with Rutherford Co. powerhouses Oakland, Riverdale, Siegel, and Blackman. Expect Cookeville to bring a potent offense to Knoxville. The Cavs racked up over 600 yards of total offense in their Spring scrimmage against Franklin Co. 

Falcon fans should be familiar with the coaches of tomorrow's opponents. Rhea Co. coach Mark Pemberton was the coach at Catholic when the Falcons had their epic playoff battles with the Irish in 2005 and 2006. Cookeville's Jimmy Maynord was the HC at Smith Co. when the Falcons went to "The Hole" in the 2004 semifinals. 

Tomorrow's scrimmage will be a good indicator of where Fulton stands as they end week one of full pads practice. The Falcons will have a scrimmage versus Jefferson Co., and a Jamboree quarter with Campbell Co. before the opener with Morristown East on August 20. No matter the outcome tomorrow, Fulton will benefit from facing two fine football teams tomorrow. 

Zaevion Dobson to be Honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2016 ESPYS on ABC - ESPN MediaZone

 NOTE: This is the official ESPN Press Release and link. (RM) Zaevion Dobson to be Honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2016 ESPYS on ABC - ESPN MediaZone: In December 2015, Zaevion Dobson, a 15-year-old high school football star from Knoxville, Tennessee, was forced to make a split-second decision—run to safety or sacrifice himself to protect those around him. Instead of running, Dobson used his body to protect two girls from a barrage of bullets, ultimately giving his life to save theirs. To honor his incredible act of bravery, ESPN today announced that Dobson will be posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2016 ESPYS Presented by Capital One.

ESPN to Honor Zaevion Dobson with Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPYS

http://espn.go.com/espys/2016/story/_/id/16389803/tennessee-teen-zaevion-dobson-killed-saving-girls-receive-arthur-ashe-courage-award-espys

ESPN announced today that Zaevion Dobson will be honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. The ceremony will take place on July 13th and be televised by ABC. The Dobson family, along with Fulton Head Football Coach Rob Black are expected to attend. A production crew spent several days in Knoxville at Fulton capturing and collecting footage for a feature that will air during the ceremony. FULCOM, the Fulton School of Communications, has provided audio, video, and pictures of Zaevion to add to the production. Zaevion will join the likes of Muhammad Ali, Pat Summitt, Dean Smith, and the passengers of United Flight 93 on 9-11 as winners of the award. Fulton High has announced they will host an ESPY watch party at the school on July 13th. The school is still raising money for the Zaevion Dobson Scholarship. A $2400 award will be given to a deserving senior each year. A fundraising gala will be held on August 6th. For more information, visit fultongala.org. 

The Fulton Family is so honored to know that the story of Zaevion will be shared again with the nation at the ESPYS. We miss Zaevion every day, but know that he is always with us. Long Live ZAE! #24Strong. 

Fulton Earns District 3-AA Basketball Championship

The Fulton Basketball team returned to the top of District 3-AA basketball with a 78-54 victory over Union Co. in the district championship game at Pigeon Forge. Freshman DaShawn McKinney led the Falcons with 17 points. It is Fulton's first district tournament championship since 2011. The Falcons were named district champions last year after the tournament championship was cancelled due to snow. Fulton is now 25-2 on the season. Region 2-AA Tournament action begins on Saturday, as Fulton hosts Kingston at the Jody Wright Arena. Tip-Off is at 7pm Saturday night. 

Terrence Cobb Returns to Pro Football With Saskatchewan Roughriders

How about a little good news tonight in Falcon Country? Former Falcon RB Terrance Cobb announced on social media yesterday that he has signed a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Cobb went to training camp last year with the Roughriders before announcing his retirement due to a lingering foot injury. Cobb has never been one to let obstacles get in his way. He committed himself to make a comeback during the fall and is now on the verge of restarting his career. 

Cobb was an immediate impact player for the Fulton Falcons at the LB position. He was a member of Fulton's 2004 and 2006 championship teams, and had a rumble return for TD in the '06 BlueCross Bowl against David Lipscomb. Cobb teamed with Dennis Rogan in the Fulton backfield in 2006. Both players eventually signed NFL contracts. Cobb was Fulton's feature back in 2007's pass happy offense. Terrance saved his best for his last two high school games of his career. He had a 4 TD effort against David Lipscomb in the BlueCross Bowl, almost single-handedly keeping Fulton in the game. He was named offensive MVP in the losing effort. Cobb then became the MVP of the first Border Bowl All-Star game in Kentucky. 

Terrance spent a couple of years away from the game in order to focus on academics before joining the football team at the University of the Cumberlands. He became a legend at the school, and was named NAIA All-American twice. He rushed for 4,414 yards and 47 TDs in his career with the Patriots. His senior season was cut short with a foot injury. Terrance signed a Free Agent contact with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014 and played in a couple preseason games. He signed with the Oakland Raiders at the end of the 2014 season, and participated in off-season activities before signing with the CFL's Roughriders. 

Cobb as a Jaguar

Terrance Cobb is one of Fulton High School's greatest success stories. He has become a pro at overcoming adversity, and we know he will give his all to continue his football career. Saskatchewan is a long way from Knoxville, but Falcon Nation will be keeping a close eye on one of their favorite sons. 

http://www.riderville.com/players/terrance-cobb/794224/

Terrance Cobb bio from Roughriders. 

CBS Honors Zaevion Dobson During Super Bowl Pregame

Here is the feature on Zaevion Dobson that aired on CBS on February 7, 2016 during the Super Bowl 50 Pregame Show. 

The segment was introduced by NY Jets WR Brandon Marshall, who came to Knoxville to meet Zack Dobson. Marshall is a ten year NFL veteran, and is also working as a commentator. Producers and crew from CBS made several trips to Knoxville from New York in order to gather footage and interviews. Aerial MOB of Los Angleles provided the overhead drone footage. Brief audio clips from WKCS Radio's broadcasts of Fulton Football were also used in the piece. An incredible amount of work went into producing this documentary, including a great deal of organizational planning by Coach Rob Black. It is a fitting tribute to Zaevion, who has become known as "Knoxville's Hero." Countless people will have an opportunity to be inspired by his story.  It is our hope that this video will continue to spread so that people around the globe will remember the name Zaevion Dobson. 

On behalf of everyone at Fulton High School, we want to thank CBS and Brandon Marshall for their help in making this tribute possible. 

Here is some coverage from the NY Daily News

The Day Peyton Manning (Almost) Came To Fulton

Hats off to CBS Sports for an excellent piece on its Super Bowl 50 Pregame show about Zaevion Dobson. It is incredible to think about the number of people who have had the opportunity to hear his story. We will post a link to the video when it becomes available. It is a must see. 

We are just minutes away from what could be the last game in Peyton Manning's career. There is no doubt that Manning has been an incredible representative of the University of Tennessee and of Knoxville. This post deals with the time Peyton almost visited Fulton. Manning has been a long time spokesman for the St. Mary's/Mercy/Tennova hospitals and usually comes to Knoxville to film TV commercials in conjunction with his summer charity golf tournament. 

In the summer of 2008, St. Mary's hospital was transitioning to be a part of Mercy Health Partners. Producers wanted to film a commercial with Manning watching a game where the would be an injury. The tag line was "Mercy," a reference to the renamed hospital. The commercial would be filmed at Fulton, with actual players performing the football scenes. Players from William Blount would make up the opposition. Someone from the hospital had a connection to William Blount. There had to be special permission from the TSSAA to film the commercial, since football activities would be taking place during June. The TSSAA decreed that no visible marks of either team could be shown in the commercial. It wasn't hard to get plenty of willing players to be in the commercial, along with parents and cheerleaders to be extras. Everyone came to Fulton in the hopes of becoming a TV celebrity and to possibly see Peyton Manning. 

Cheerleaders on the field???

As is the case with most TV productions, filming was slow. It took several takes to get a crowd reaction shot in the stands. The football action in the commercial would be centered around a QB asking a devastating hit. Fulton QB Josh Compton was recruited to be sacked. Josh was driven to the ground at least ten times as the hit was filmed from every possible angle. Compton took a pretty good beating that night. 

The last scene to be filmed was the Peyton Manning scene, except Peyton was no where to be seen. Producers finally admitted that other commitments would keep Manning from attending the shoot, his part could be edited in post production. To film the scene, they needed a stand in for Manning. The only person at the stadium who was comparable in size to Peyton was Coach Rob Black. Coach Black got to be Peyton for a few minutes as the last scene was filmed. Coach Pete Stout also was used as an extra in that scene. Their job was to act as they had just witnessed the savage hit on Josh Compton. 

Coach Stout (on the right) feels mercy for the QB

Peyton never made it to Fulton, but the magic of editing made it seem as if he was at Bob Black Field. It took an eternity for the commercial to finally hit the air, and when it did, there was another disappointment. The football action that took a whole night to film comprised only four seconds of the commercial. MERCY! 

Watch the night Peyton almost came to Fulton here...

http://youtu.be/vAG7VsaEilM

Mercy Health combined St. Mary's and Baptist Hospitals. Now, in 2016, there is no more St. Mary's, no more Baptist Hospital, no more Mercy, Tennova is moving west, and Peyton is nearing retirement. Times do change. 

A Look at Fulton's #NSD2016 Signees

Today is National Signing Day. Here is a look at the Fulton players who will be signing today with colleges at 2:15 in the FHS Auditorium. These players will join the 17 other Falcons who were on college rosters in 2015. 

Kentel Williams

   Kentel's athletic and academic resume is impressive. He was a Class 4A Mr. Football Semi-Finalist, a two-time member of the TSWA All-State team, the District 3-AA MVP, and an MVP of the Border Bowl a few weeks ago. Kentel is magic with the ball in his hands. He accounted for 72 catches for 1324 yards and 12 TDs as a receiver in his career. He also got plenty of touches as the Wildcat QB for the Falcons. He rushed for 867 yards and 12 TDs in the past two seasons. Kentel also scored a combined eight TDs on Special Teams and Defense. His athleticism should allow him to be an instant contributor at the FCS level. We would call this an absolute steal for Austin Peay.

Matthew Gayle

   Matthew was one of the most improved players for Fulton over his four years with the Falcons. His 6'3" size has been appealing for college coaches, and he will join Kentel Williams at Austin Peay. Matthew became a key contributor for Fulton along the defensive front in the second half of his junior year. His performance as a rush end during the 2014 playoff run earned him a coveted spot on the All-PrepXtra Team. In his career at Fulton, Matthew recorded 89 tackles, 32 takles for loss, and an impressive 10.5 sacks. He was a vital part of the Fulton defense and impressed with a strong performance in the Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic. Matthew is a Fulton legacy player, as he counts great former Falcons Jackie and Marshall Walker as relatives.

Joe Kimber

Joe Kimber will be signing with Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. The Blue Dragons have one of the top overall JUCO athletic programs in America. Joe has a tremendous upside which caught the attention of local recruiting analysts and college coaches. Kimber sat out his sophomore year of football and returned to the team in 2014. He was a major part of Fulton's receiver rotation in 2015, catching 16 passes for 387 yards and  5TDs. His size and frame gives him the ability to make big plays. Joe's Pick-6 against Catholic in the regular season put the final nail in the coffin of the Irish. 

Congratulations also go to C/O 2014 Fulton QB Penny Smith who signed with Jacksonville State earlier today. Jacksonville St. played for the FCS Championship this year out of the Ohio Valley Conference. Penny started his college career at Chattanooga before transferring to a junior college last year. 

We expect several other Falcons to sign in the coming days as they work out their scholarship packages. Congratulations to all of these players on this big day in Falcon Country. 

Fulton National Signing Day Ceremony Set For Wednesday

   It looks like Austin Peay is the big winner at Fulton High School in competing for the services of the Class of 2016. Two Fulton players will be signing with the Governors during the National Signing Day Ceremony in the Auditorium at 2:15 Wednesday. WR/DB Kentel Williams announced his commitment to Austin-Peay on Monday Night, while DE/TE Matthew Gayle  committed to AP earlier. WR/DB Joe Kimber is set to sign with JUCO powerhouse Hutchinson Community College of Kansas on Wednesday. Several other Falcons are finalizing their college plans and could be ready to sign by Wednesday afternoon.

  Austin Peay has generated much excitement on the recruiting trail with the hiring of new Head Coach Will Healy. Healy previously was an assistant at Chattanooga where he closely recruited Fulton. Healy led the recruitment of Penny Smith and K.J. Roper to Chattanooga in the previous years. It wouldn't be a surprise to see more Fulton players make the trek to Clarksville in the coming years. AP is making a huge upgrade to their football facilities that should pay dividends in the coming years.

We will have a more detailed look at the Falcons who will be signing in tomorrow's blog. 

Fulton Basketball to Retire Jersey of All-Time Leading Scorer Jalen Steele

It is quite the coincidence that one of the last posts on this blog concerned the career of FHS basketball legend Jalen Steele. The Falcons will be retiring his jersey next week. 

   On Tuesday, February 9^th, the Fulton High Basketball team will retire Jalen Steele's number 24 jersey. Jalen is one of the most decorated players in Knoxville basketball history. He led the Falcons to back-to-back state championships in 2008 and 2009, and earned the Class AA Mr. Basketball award in 2010. Steele was a three-time All-State team member, and was the News-Sentinel PrepXtra Player of the Year twice. He is Fulton’s all-time leading scorer with 2400 career points. In Steele’s four years at Fulton, the Falcons compiled a record of 115-18. Steele signed to play college basketball at Mississippi State. He played three years in the SEC for the Bulldogs, and is now completing his college career at Lincoln Memorial University. Steele joins Bill Justus and James Gallman as the only Falcons to have their basketball jersey retired. The event will take place before the boy’s game versus Alcoa at approximately 8PM. 

Jalen Steele Career Profile

4 year starter

All District 3-AA (07, 08, 09, 10)

District Player of the Year (08, 09, 10)

District 3-AA tournament MVP (08,10)

Region 2-AA Tournament MVP (08, 09, 10)

2-Time State Champion (08, 09)

Class AA All State Tournament team (08, 09)

Class AA State Tournament MVP (09)

Class AA TSWA All State Team (08, 09, 10)

PrepXtra Sophomore of the year (08)

PrepXtra Player of the Year (09, 10)

Leading Scorer in Fulton High School History

2400 Career points

115-18 record in his four years at Fulton

Class AA Mr. Basketball (10)

Jalen Steele Lincoln Memorial Bio

Jalen is averaging 15.9 points per game for the Railsplitters, who are ranked 7th in the nation in NCAA D2 basketball.

Hello...

   We're back! It has been over five years since this blog has been updated. There have been quite a few things that have happened in the world of Fulton Football over that time. We want to restart The Maroon and White Report as a way for you to keep up with the Falcons. We will have news, stories, history, and lots of other good stuff coming your way in the near future. Make sure to let everyone know that we will have some new posts coming in a few days.

Go Big Maroon!

Fulton Bests Pigeon Forge 22-7, Next up for Falcons: West

Thomas in a Rush for Fulton (KNS Article):

Dametrius Thomas rushed for a career-high 221 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Fulton High School to a 22-7 homecoming victory over Pigeon Forge on Friday night.

The bulk of his yards and 19 carries came in the third quarter. At the 10:43 mark, the senior scored on a 25-yard play, following a failed onside kick attempt by the Tigers.

A three-and-out by Pigeon Forge (1-3, 0-1 District 3-AA) and one offensive play later for the Falcon, Thomas took off for 74 yards and his second score of the quarter and a 22-0 lead.

"Fulton's got a lot of speed and quickness," said Tigers coach Lee Hammonds. "We worked tremendously hard on that this week."

Though the second half belonged to Thomas, neither team seemed to get a handle of the first.

The only score of the half came on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Ben Winters to Brandon Taylor. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Fulton's defense held the Tigers to just 63 yards of total offense in the first half.

Following a fake punt, running back Chase Travis took off on a 30-yard touchdown.

Travis finished with just 48 yards on 13 carries.

"He (Travis) is a good running back for us," added Hammonds, "he's getting back to his old form."

The Falcons (2-3, 1-0) struggled with penalties and turnovers.

Winters threw two interceptions and running back Javonte Cotner lost a fumble before reaching the end zone.

The Falcons had 11 penalties, six of which were holding calls. Runs of 54 and 49 by Thomas were negated because of the illegal contact.

If the yards would have counted, Thomas would've been just two yards behind the school record set by Jeff Mitchell, who gained 326 yards in 2001 against Anderson County.

"We didn't play real smart tonight," said Falcons coach Buck Coatney, "we got to quit the mistakes, the penalties and the turnovers."

Schedule for Friday Nights KOC Football Jamboree @ Neyland Stadium

Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic KickOff Classic
Starts at 6 p.m. at Neyland Stadium on UT campus
King's Academy vs. TSD
South-Doyle vs. Bearden
West vs. CAK
Gibbs vs. Central
Karns vs. Fulton

Halftime Activities (Punt, Pass & Kick Competition/50 yd dash for lineman and Skill Players)

Halls vs. Austin-East
Farragut vs. Webb
Hardin Valley Academy vs. Cosby
Catholic vs. Powell
Carter vs. Grace

Falcons Look Sharp in Preseason Scrimmage Opener versus Oak Ridge

The 2010 football edition of the Fulton Falcons started their preseason scrimmage schedule with a good showing at Oak Ridge this past Friday night. The Falcons moved the ball efficiently both with the run and pass, and also played stingy defense for most of the 50-play scrimmage. When the first teams (or Ones) faced off, Fulton came away with a 3 touchdown to 1 advantage over the Wildcats.
All three touchdowns were scored by Fulton's Senior tailback Dametruis "D-Man" Thomas; 1 TD was scored on a 60-plus yard scamper and 2 others were scored on screen passes from fellow senior QB Ben Winters.


The 20 play scrimmage with 2nd-teamers resulted in a 1 to 1 TD deadlock. The lone falcon TD coming on a long touchdown run by junior backup QB Brian Deathridge.

Fulton's Arsenal Well Stocked (KNS Article)

Fulton Provides Stern Pre-season Test (Oak Ridger)

Staying Healthy Key for First Week (KNS interview with Fulton OC Rob Black)

Falcons Face Loudon in the First Round of the Region Tourney Tonight

The Fulton Falcons (25-2) will face the 4th seeded Loudon Redskins (15-7) of District 4AA in the first round of the Regional Tournament Saturday at 7:00 at the Fulton Gymnasium.

Here is how they got here:

Fulton defeated Carter 68-61, to win District 3AA Tourney

Loudon lost to CAK 70-54 in the District 4AA Consolation Game

Click this link for a look at the Region 2AA bracket (2nd, 3rd and Final Rds held at Alcoa)

Jalen Steele Making a Strong Case for Tennessee's Class AA Mr. Basketball

Here are Jalen's credentials for Mr. Basketball:


There are very few things that Jalen Steele has not accomplished on the basketball court. The Fulton High senior has won MVP awards for the District 3-AA, Region 2-AA, and the Class AA State tournaments. He’s been a four year starter on Fulton teams that have made trips to Murfreesboro three times and have won two state championships. He will leave Fulton High as the school’s leading scorer; the only Falcon to have ever scored over 2000 career points. That’s impressive, considering Fulton boasts two of the most legendary players to have ever played in the Knoxville area: Ron Widby and Bill Justus. Widby and Justus were both named to the University of Tennessee’s All-Time Basketball Team. Speaking of the SEC, Jalen has already signed scholarship papers to play for the Auburn Tigers. Jalen has proven that the can compete against the big boys. He is one of only a few high school players to play in the Pilot Rocky Top League the last two summers.

He averaged 16 points per game in the Rocky Top League this year against current and former collegeand pro players. Jalen helped lead his team to a league championship, scoring 22 points in the final.Steele has always demonstrated nerves of steel at crunch time, whether it’s icing the 2008 state championship game against Mitchell away at the free throw line or nailing the game winning shot against Bolivar in the 2009 state semifinals. Bolivar coach Rick Rudesill complimented Steele after the game saying, “Jalen can step up and take over — and he did.” Auburn coach Jeff Lebo summed it up best when he said, “Jalen Steele is a kid who is a winner.” Steele has done it again in 2010. He’s averaged over 23 points per game this year in helping the Falcons to a number one ranking in Class AA. Jalen Steele has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments at Fulton High School. The only fitting way to finish out his career would be a return trip to Murfreesboro, and a Mr. Basketball award.

• Ballin’ In The ‘Boro: Jalen Steele has averaged 18 points during his seven games played in the TSSAA State Tournament in Murfreesboro.
• Four Great Years: Fulton has recorded a record of 101-17 during Jalen’s four years at Fulton.
• Charity: Steele connected on 31 of 31 free throws from the charity- stripe in the 2009 Region 2-AA tournament. During the 2010 season, Jalen has made 86% of his free tosses.
• 2000 and Above: Jalen Steele is the only player in Fulton history to score over 2000 points.
  
• Sharpshooter: For the 2010 season, Steele shot for 55% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.
• Durability: Steele has played in 117 of Fulton’s 118 games over the last four seasons.
• Going Off: Jalen Steele recorded four of his seven 30+ point games during the 2010 season.

Career Accomplishment:

• Four Year Starter
• All District 3-AA (’07, ’08, ’09)
• District 3-AA Player of the Year (’08, ’09)
• District 3-AA Tournament MVP (’08)
• Region 2-AA Tournament MVP (’08, ’09)
• State Champion (’08, ’09)
• Class AA All-State Tournament Team (’08, ’09)
• Class AA State Tournament MVP (’09)
• Class AA TSWA All-State (’08, ’09)
• PrepXtra Sophomore of the Year (’08)
• PrepXtra Player of the Year (’09)
• Leading Scorer in Fulton History
• 2000 Career Point Club
• 100+ Team Victories
• Division I Scholarship (Auburn)
  

Signing Day:


Steele will play his college basketball at Auburn University. He
signed with the Tigers after receiving interest from Alabama,
Georgia, Dayton, Western Kentucky, Missouri State, Marshall,
and Wright State.

Falcons travel to Red Bank for Round Two Battle of Traditional Football Powers

Game Notes Courtesy of Fulton SID Russell Mayes:

Fulton travels to Red Bank to face the state’s consensus number one 4A team in the 2^nd round of the TSSAA playoffs. It will be the first ever meeting between the schools. Fulton is 11-2 all-time versus Chattanooga schools. Fulton coach Buck Coatney, and Red Bank coach Tim Daniels faced each other three times while Daniels was coach at Loudon. Fulton won two of the three meetings. The Falcons are outscoring opponents 217-64 in the 1^st half this year. Q

B Ben Winters tossed three TD passes in Fulton’s 30-14 win over Eas

t Ri

dge last week. The Lions scored 41 unanswered points in their 48-8

victory over Gibbs last week. Red Bank QB Andy Christopher threw

for 209 yards and four touchdowns against Gibbs. Red Bank’s leading rusher, Keon Williams, sat out of last weeks game with an injury. The Lions have finished the regular season undefeated in three of the last four years.

Fulton vs. Chattanooga Teams

This will be the 14^th time that Fulton has faced a team from Chattanooga. The first meeting with a Chattanooga team came in 1956 when Fulton faced the powerhouse Purple Pounders of Chattanooga Central. Central claimed four state championships in the 50s, but the Falcons pulled off a 20-14 upset in Knoxville. FHS assistant coach Pete Craig called the win “the greatest single victory by a Fulton football team in six years.” The Falcons have an 11-2 all-time record against Chattanooga teams including a 14-7 win over Brainerd in the 1973 East Ridge Pioneer Bowl, a 21-7 victory over McCallie in the 1974 state semi-final, and last week’s 30-14 win over East Ridge in the first round of the playoffs. Fulton is 3-0 versus Chattanooga schools in the post season. The Falcons defeated Boyd-Buchanan 40-6 during the 2006 season in Chattanooga, and knocked off Tyner the following week. Fulton dropped a heartbreaking 32-28 decision to Tyner last year. The Falcons are 5-1 in games played in Chattanooga. Fulton has also played several southeast Tennessee schools including Bradley Central, Rhea Co., Marion Co., and Whitwell.

Lion Notes

Red Bank is making its 22^nd playoff appearance, the Lions earned a state championship in 2000, and was a state finalist in 1978…the Lions have made six consecutive playoff appearances under coach Tim Daniels. Daniels is in his eighth year at Red Bank and has a 61-29 record…Red Bank has completed
undefeated regular seasons in three of the last four years…The Lions returned 10 starters from last year’s 7-4 team. Red Bank lost to West last year 31-24 in the playoffs last year…QB Andy Christopher is in his second year as a starter, and threw for over 1,700 yards last season. He has thrown for 1325 yards and 18 TDs this year…RB Keon Williams sat out last weeks game with a bruised shoulder. Tim Dews replaced Williams and ran for 116 yards and a TD.


Red Bank Football Website (BlueNationFootball)

Media Coverage of Red Banks Round 1 Victory over Knox Gibbs:

Christopher Passes Red Bank To 48-8 Win Over Gibbs (Chattanoogan):

For those of you who think that Red Bank's offense is centered around running back Keon Williams, you might want to think again.
Please don't misunderstand.
Williams is a very good athlete and he's made life miserable for a lot of teams this fall, but the bullish senior had the evening off on Friday.
Instead, the Lions took advantage of quarterback Andy Christopher's arm as they rallied for a 48-8 victory over the Gibbs Eagles in the first round of the TSSAA football playoffs at Red Bank's Community Stadium.
Williams suffered a shoulder injury last week against Hixson. He was dressed out and even took part in pre-game warmups, but he never left the sideline once the game started. As it turned out, the Lions got along just fine without him.
"We've been saying all along that we have a multi-dimensional team and we proved it tonight," said Red Bank coach Tim Daniels after the game ended.
"I'm extremely happy with the way we played. We know we can only take this one game at a time. Next week's game against Fulton will be another physical battle.
"It was good to see our defense get a couple of scores. I've been waiting all season for Jeremy (Jackson)to get a pick and he got one tonight," Daniels added with a smile.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Red Bank got on the board on the second play of the second quarter when Tim Dews zigzagged his way into the end zone from the 5.
Gibbs came right back two possessions later to score its only touchdown of the game.
The Lions made it 21-8 at the break when Christopher tossed a short pass to Kelvin Clay, who dodged and darted his way 37 yards into the end zone with 1:49 showing before intermission.
Christopher scored on a keeper from the 14 as Red Bank extended its lead to 27-8 late in the third quarter.
The slender Lion signal caller then added his third TD pass of the game on the first play of the fourth stanza.
Dews had gained 18 yards on the first two plays of the drive before Christopher hit Shawn McClesky in stride for a 43-yard score with 11:50 to play.
That's when the Red Bank defense decided to shine.
Keith Mayes scooped up a fumble and raced 28 yards for the first defensive TD at the 11:31 mark.
Jeremy Jackson then intercepted a Zack Batts pass two plays later and zipped 38 yards untouched down the right sideline just over a minute later for Red Bank's final score of the game.
Red Bank finished the evening with 381 total yards, including 210 through the air and 171 on the ground.
Dews was the leading rusher with 102 yards on 15 carries while Christopher completed 13 of 16 passes for the 210 yards.
Clay had six receptions for 79 yards while McCleskey gained 83 yards on three grabs.
Robinson also had three catches for 36 yards.
Hibbett was the workhorse for Gibbs as he finished the game with 130 yards on 23 attempts.
Gibbs finished the game with 190 total yards, including 171 on the ground.
Red Bank amassed 16 first downs while Gibbs finished with 11.
The Eagles end the year at 6-5 while Red Bank is now 11-0.
The Lions will be at home again next Friday when they host the Fulton Falcons.

Red Bank Does Victory Dance on Gibbs, 48-8 (News-Sentinel):

Knoxville Gibbs danced on Red Bank’s logo at midfield before the start of its Class 4A high school football playoff game Friday night. Gibbs matched the Lions step for step for a quarter and a half.Then the No. 1 team in the state waltzed away.

Playing without its best player, Red Bank rallied behind quarterback Andy Christopher’s four touchdowns to defeat the Eagles 48-8 in first-round action at Red Bank Community Stadium. The Lions trailed 8-7 midway through the second quarter before reeling off 41 unanswered points.

Starting tailback Keon Williams dressed but did not play. Coach Tim Daniels said Williams, who scored 24 touchdowns in the regular season, was nursing a bruised shoulder.Without Williams, the Lions turned to Christopher and senior tailback Tim Dews, who ran for 116 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

“Number 22 (Dews) has been playing football around here for a long time,” Daniels said. “We had no problem relying on him.”

Dews scored the first TD of the game at 11:22 in the second quarter on a 9-yard run. Gibbs turned a Lions’ fumble into points when workhorse tailback Andy Hibbett plunged in for a 6-yard touchdown.

The Eagles took an 8-7 lead on Hibbett’s two-point conversion after Red Bank was flagged for roughing the kicker on a missed extra-point try.

Then Christopher took over. The senior quarterback completed 13 of 15 passes for 209 yards and an interception. His 14-yard TD strike to Josh Robinson gave the Lions a 14-8 lead with 3:37 remaining in the first half.

After a defensive stop, Christopher put the game away. He led the Lions to another score in 29 seconds, connecting on three straight passes for 68 yards, including a 37-yard TD to Kelvin Clay.

“That drive was huge for us,” Christopher said. “It gave us a boost. They stuck with us for a little bit, but we pulled away.”

Falcons Down Pioneers 30-14, Sets up 2nd Round Matchup with Red Bank

Like Old Times for Fulton (KNS Article):

Micah Pitchford finally discovered the elation of a November victory.

Only a freshman logging mop-up minutes during Fulton High School's 2007 run to a state runner-up finish, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Pitchford is playing a major role nowadays.

He had five catches for two touchdowns and 80 yards against visiting East Ridge on Friday night, and teammate Dametrius Thomas added 121 yards rushing in the Falcons' 30-14 first-round win the Class 4A playoffs.

"It feels good to win my first playoff game," said Pitchford.

Fulton (8-3) missed the postseason last year for the first time since 1992. Next week, Fulton will travel to Red Bank (11-0), which beat Gibbs, 48-8, on Friday. Fulton coach Buck Coatney had no reservations about playing away from Knoxville.

"You don't have the distractions of sitting around. You get on the bus and travel," said Coatney. "So, we welcome it."

East Ridge (7-4) never mustered a passing game to balance its rushing success, finishing 0-for-9 with two interceptions. BreVante King was the bright spot, rushing for 125 yards and two scores. He was nearly unstoppable out of the Wildcat package.

"We've been working on that the last couple of weeks," said East Ridge coach Mike Martin. "We were saving it for the right time."

Fulton looked poised to blow out East Ridge. Brad McKeehan kicked a 25-yard field goal on Fulton's opening drive of the second half for a 24-7 lead.

But King, who gave East Ridge its first half touchdown on a 4-yard run, continued his rushing prowess with a 3-yard touchdown with 4:54 left in the third. He carried four times in the seven-play drive for 52 yards.

East Ridge's Donnie Garner intercepted Fulton quarterback Ben Winters, who played almost perfectly in the first half, with 11 seconds left in the quarter. The East Ridge possession lasted until the 6:02 mark in the fourth.

It ended in disaster. King had a touchdown run wiped off by penalty. Josh Francisco's 32-yard field goal attempt hooked left.

Thomas sealed the win with 30-yard touchdown run, but Fulton's pass game got it done early. Fulton staked a 21-7 halftime lead behind Winters' 85 yards and three touchdowns on 8-for-9 passing.

Four plays after Fulton recovered East Ridge's fumble on the opening kick, Winters hit Pitchford on a 6-yard touchdown pass.

The Pioneers shanked a punt on their ensuing possession, and Winters made them pay with a 35-yard scoring strike to Pitchford with 6:18 left in the first quarter. Just like that, 14-0.

"He put it on the money (tonight)," said Pitchford. "I told him if he throws it, I'm going to go get it."

Winters, also a linebacker, intercepted a East Ridge pass with 5:25 before the break and returned it 20 yards to the Pioneers 10. He found Javonte Cotner for a 8-yard touchdown pass on third and goal.

Penalties and no viable pass threat prevented East Ridge from answering.

"I was proud of the way we battled. That's a good football team," said Martin. "They've been here and done it.

"We're trying to get where Fulton is."

Fulton Goes to the Air, Whips East Ridge 30-14 (Knoxsportsonline):

Ben Winters threw three touchdown passes and connected on 15 of 19 passes for 139 yards Friday night to key Knox Fulton to a 30-14 victory over Chattanooga East Ridge in a TSSAA Class 4A first-round playoff game.

"It was a good win for us,'' said Fulton coach Buck Coatney. "We really got our passing game going. If we can keep doing that, it will take pressure off our running game.''

Dametrius Thomas complemented Winters' passing by running for 121 yards with 30 of those yards coming on Fulton's final touchdown.

Two of Winters' TD passes went to Micah Pitchford, while the other was to Javonte Cotner.

Fulton's defense forced East Ridge to got 0-for-9 passing with a pair of interceptions.

Fulton (8-3) advances to face unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Red Bank (11-0) next Friday in Chattanooga. Red Bank manhandled Knox Gibbs, 48-8, on Friday.

Ben King scored both East Ridge TDs on runs of 4 and 44 yards. He finished with 125 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Here are statistics from the game:

Knox Fulton 30, East Ridge 14

........................................ER.....KF
First Downs.......................11......14
Rushes/Yds gained.....45-202..29-122
Passing Yds......................0.......139
Total Offense..................202.......261
Passes A-C-I................0-9-2..15-19-1
Fumbles/Lost..................3-1........1-0
Punts/Average..............2-16.5...1-35.0
Penalties/Yards............8-55......4-35

Score by quarters:
East Ridge..................7....0....7....0 -- 14
Knox Fulton...............14....7....3....6 -- 30

Scoring Plays:
KF -- Micah Pitchford, 5 pass from Ben Winters (Brad McKeehan kick)
KF -- Pitchford, 35 pass from Winters (McKeehan kick)
ER -- Ben King, 4 run (Francisco kick)
KF -- Javonte Cotner, 7 pass from Winters (McKeehan kick)
KF -- McKeehan, 25 field goal
ER -- King, 44 run (Francisco kick)
KF -- Dametrius Thomas, 30 run (Kick Failed)