Warriors tame Lions
Concord’s first TSSAA game in nearly a decade
Knoxville – Concord Christian School played its first TSSAA-sanctioned football game in nearly a decade last week.
And things didn’t go quite the way the Lions would have liked as they dropped a 24-7 decision to Christian Academy of Knoxville in a game that began Friday night at Warrior Stadium but had to be concluded Saturday afternoon as it was suspended due to inclement weather.
The game was halted with nine minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter with the Warriors holding a 24-7 lead.
But, Concord (0-1) had just made a big play as freshman defensive back Dasani Moulden intercepted a pass from CAK’s Seaton Moffett in the end zone and returned it the length of the field for a touchdown. After Pedro Sabat kicked an extra point, lightning brought the game and the Lions’ momentum to a screeching halt.
“Football is a game of momentum, and we had the momentum at that point, the point when the weather came in; but then it came in and we had to come back today,” CCS coach Steve Matthews said. “We competed well and we did some good things for our first time out, but we just made too many mistakes to win.”
CAK got off to a fast start, scoring on its first possession. The Warriors took the opening kickoff and were methodical as they marched 63 yards on 11 plays and consumed nearly seven minutes. Moffett capped the drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Linkous. Bennett Jelks added the extra point, making the score, 7-0, with five minutes, 21 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
CAK (1-0) extended its advantage to 14-0 when senior running back Ryan Gibson scored on a touchdown run from 3 yards out early in the second stanza.
Jelks, who kicks, plays wide receiver and defensive back for the Warriors, made some key defensive plays and was a perfect 3-for-3 on his PAT’s, closed the scoring with a 32-yard field goal with 1:17 left in the second stanza.
The game was completed early Saturday afternoon, a special day for the Jelks family. Kelly Jelks, an assistant athletic director at CAK, was celebrating her 50th birthday. She’s Bennett’s mother. After the game, coach Chad Speck led the Warriors in a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” as they basked in the glory of their season-opening victory.
Bennett Jelks had a solid performance against Concord.
“He had a great game for us,” Speck said of Jelks. “This was a big win for us against a very good, very physical football team.
“These were very difficult circumstances. We got suspended last night and answer early this morning and I’m pleased with the way that the kids and the coaches responded. This was a big win for us, and we’re extremely blessed to have the opportunity to play and develop young men through this great game of football.”
Bennett Jelks also was pleased.
“It feels great to have this kind of game on my mom’s birthday,” he said. “This was a good win for us against a physical team.
“But we had to come out and be the more physical team.”
Gibson closed out the scoring in the contest with a short TD run late in the third frame.
Next up: The Warriors will host Heritage Friday, while Concord Christian will play Mt. Juliet Christian at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge.
Kickoff for both contest is slated for 7 p.m.
