Impressive HWWW 1st week wins
While a freshman went wild on both sides of the ball for a head coach in his 38th and final season, three other PureMagic How the West Was Won Contest teams matched Webb School of Knoxville with impressive victories during Week 1 TSSAA football action last weekend.
Christian Academy of Knoxville’s defense pitched a shutout in Seymour against The Kings Academy, winning 16-0. Meanwhile, Knoxville Catholic breezed past Chuckey-Doak 41-14 in Blaine Stadium.
In the only PM-HWWW dramatic finish, Farragut avenged a 2021 road loss, using a defensive stand inside the FHS 10 in the closing
minutes to hold off Hendersonville Beech 31-28 in FHS’s Eddie Courtney Stadium/Bill Clabo Field. (Read game details and see photos beginning on page 1B).
Things didn’t go as well for a pair of new head coaches, however: Jeff Miner, Hardin Valley Academy’s first-year boss, and Josh Jones, Bearden’s rookie skipper, both lost to rivals. (Read stories and see photos beginning on page 1B)
Webb, CAK, KCHS details
Shavar Young, Spartans standout freshman receiver and defensive back, scored four touchdowns — three receiving plus a 60-yard punt return TD — in helping lead Webb to a 45-21 home win against Carter, avenging a 2021 road loss.
Defensively, Young recorded 10 solo tackles and two assisted stops.
Charlie Robinson, senior quarterback, fired all three
TD passes while rushing for two others (10-of-13 in the air for 159 yards; nine rushes for 64 yards).
Joey Bonifacio, senior linebacker, was in on 20 tackles — 12 solo. Cooper Cameron, junior linebacker, recorded 17 total tackles, nine solo, with two of his three sacks for minus-10 and minus-9 yards.
Hal Niendorff, sophomore defensive back, added 13 total stops (nine solo).
Two interceptions by JK Hamilton, Warriors senior defensive back, helped CAK keep TKA off the scoreboard.
Eli Etherton, senior linebacker, had 11 total tackles, which included a sack. Warriors teammate Caleb Hoke, a senior defensive back, had
10 total tackles, including two for minus-yardage, and one pass break-up. Chase Stokely added nine total tackles, while Eli Campbell also grabbed an interception.
Offensively, CAK got rushing touchdowns from running backs Dario Love, a senior, and junior Jay Duncan.
Junior Shepard Gaston booted a 20-yard field goal.
Helping pace the Fighting Irish attack, junior running back Quincy Pannell ripped off 144 yards on just 15 carries and three touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Jayden Neal fired two touchdown passes, going 8-of-11 in the air for 146 yards.
Receivers Sam O’Leary, Braylon Harmon and Tyreek King each grabbed one TD pass, with King’s being 40 yards from back-up quarterback Briggs Cherry.
Defensively, Catholic held Chuckey-Doak to only 224
total yards, as junior linebacker Bryson Gardner had
seven total tackles, five solo, while senior linebacker Paul Lyles also had seven total stops, three solo (and a fumble recovery).
Sophomore lineman Brenden Goodson matched Gardner with five solo tackles.
Senior defensive back Brodrick Gipson grabbed an interception.
Week 2 games (all games start at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 26, unless otherwise noted)
Farragut at West; Morristown West at HVA; Oak Ridge at Bearden; Gibbs at Webb (7:30 p.m., Friday); Walton Academy (Georgia) at CAK, (7:30 p.m., Friday); and Catholic at South Greene (7:30 p.m., Friday).
