Still rolling along: Webb pulls away at Christian Academy
KNOXVILLE — After the first five games this season, Webb School of Knoxville’s football team was 5-0 and had not been challenged.
Friday night, Sept. 21, on the road at Division II AA-East Region foe Christian Academy of Knoxville, the boys in green made it six-for-six.
Webb (6-0 overall, 4-0 in region), jumped to a quick 14-0 lead, weathered a Warriors’ first-half comeback, then put the game away with a 14-0 second half. The final was 42-12.
“It’s the start you want,” Spartans head coach Don Mahoney said. “For two weeks in a row we came out and set the tone with what we wanted to do.”
The “tone” Mahoney referenced was Spartan touchdowns on its first two plays from scrimmage.
After forcing CAK (3-3, 2-2) to punt on the game’s opening possession, Spartan quarterback Jack Wagner hit Markeis Barrett over the top for a 77-yard touchdown bomb and a 7-0 lead.
On the first play of the next possession, running back Jalen Hill went right, then bolted to the end zone for a 14-0 lead four minutes into the game. “When you give up a one-play drive, it’s not good,” Warriors head coach Chad Speck said.
CAK would fight back. A 46-yard pass from quarterback Aiden Troutt to Will Kelley put the ball on Webb’s 3. Two plays later, Lincoln Rich took it in to cut the lead to 14-6.
“Give them all the credit in the world for their scheme and what they do with it,” Mahoney said.
The Spartans made it 21-6 early in the second when Wagner, on third-and-goal from the CAK 6, hit Harvey Niendorff for the score.
Troutt’s TD pass to Kelley with 5:04 left in the half cut Webb’s lead to 21-12. Three Spartan penalties helped sustain the drive.
A 21-12 halftime score would have kept CAK very much alive, but a late-half turnover led to a touchdown pass from Wagner to Baxter Johnson. The half ended 28-12 and the Warriors wouldn’t threaten again.
Two second-half scores, along with airtight defense, put the game away. “We did a good job with our staff at halftime,” Mahoney said. “Great job by our defense.”
“They fly around, they play physical. They play it the way you’re supposed to play,” Speck said about Webb.
Wagner was 8 of 19 passing for 166 yards, four touchdowns and a pick. Hill carried 13 times for 79 yards. “What we were able to do is attack both through the air and the ground,” Mahoney said.
Troutt completed 17 of 21 passes for 126 yards. Kelley had four catches for 79 yards.
CAK gained a mere 19 yards on the ground, as Webb linebacker Cooper Cameron had nine tackles, including a sack and tackle for loss. Defensive lineman Ari Klasky had four tackles for loss.
