Overtime TD seals Webb home thriller vs. CAK
KNOXVILLE — It was a football game between Division I-AA East Regional rivals and Dutchtown Road neighbors. The game included bragging rights and playoff implications.
By any definition, it was a classic.
On the second play of its first possession in overtime. Webb School of Knoxville’s Baxter Johnson plunged in from the 2. The touchdown gave the Spartans a wild 27-21 win over Christian Academy of Knoxville in Webb’s David Meske Stadium Friday night, Sept. 27.
The Warriors had first possession in OT, but a fumble on the first play was recovered by Webb’s Bradyn Hooker. Johnson scored two plays later.
“Proud of this group,” Spartans head coach Don Mahoney said. “Hats off to CAK; they had a really good game plan and they executed well. It just came down to some of those plays.”
“Wonderful game,” CAK head coach Chad Speck said. “We didn’t give our kids a good enough plan in the second half; that falls on me. We had a great start, but a bad second half.”
The Warriors, 2-4 overall and 1-3 in region), jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead on touchdown runs by workhorse running back Lincoln Rich. The first was for 18 yards with 7:37 left; the second from 4 yards five minutes later.
“Rich works his rear end off,” Speck said, as the senior carried 27 times for 154 yards and three scores.
Webb cut it to 14-7 when senior quarterback Cruise Cunningham connected with Greyson Webb for a 44-yard touchdown with 1:16 left in the half, then tied it at 14 early in the third when Cunningham hit Shavar Young from the 2.
Cunningham had 13 completions in 23 attempts for 154 yards and three touchdowns for Webb (3-2, 3-1).
“We’ve been down, but we’ve managed to fight our way back,” Mahoney said. “We gotta get ahead sooner.”
“We always believe in ourselves and never got down on ourselves,” Young said.
The Spartans took a 21-14 lead with 2:56 left in regulation on another Cunningham-to-Young connection — this one for 11 yards. Was CAK finished?
The Warriors had other ideas. Taking over on their own 20, freshman quarterback Seaton Moffett hit Will Kelley for a 32-yard gain on first down. Two plays later, Rich took the handoff and galloped 45 yards up the left sideline for the tying touchdown.
