There were smiles all around Friday night at the recently renovated Stone Castle, where Tennessee High had no problem in delivering a 36-3 whipping to Sullivan East in a non-conference football game between two geographical rivals.
The rivalry is impossibly one-sided, however, considering Tennessee has now won all 44 games between the two schools, located just seven miles apart. Due to lopsided scores, the series was not played between 2011 and 2023, resuming just last season with a competitive 48-25 game.
The numbers may indeed favor Tennessee High until the end of time, but both coaches were encouraged by what they saw between the lines.
Even losing coach J.C. Simmons, whose team was manhandled in a 53-7 season-opening loss to Johnson County, was emboldened by the improvement he saw in his Patriots.
"We got better tonight," the fifth-year head mentor said. "We did some different things, and we really focused on attention to detail. I mean, I'm just proud of my kids -- we didn't back down and we didn't quit.
"I think we had some drops, especially that first one early -- we've got to get better at that. But from last week to this week ... we're finally starting to find ourselves a little."
Of course, Simmons knew what his outmanned Patriots were up against, and wasn't surprised.
"Oh yeah, that's a really good team over there," he said. "They're big and they're physical, and they did exactly what I thought they were going to do as far as offensive game plan and defensive game plan.
"They're a great team, there's no doubt about it."
Tennessee High (1-1) started fast and kept the pedal down throughout the first half, scoring on all five of its offensive possessions behind bullish running back Trent Dowdell.
A powerful 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior, Dowdell carried 14 times for 153 yards in the first half, running through a defender on a 38-yard touchdown blast on the second play from scrimmage, less than a minute into the game. He also scored THS's third TD, a 1-yard plunge that helped provide the Vikings with a 22-3 edge early in the second quarter.
"He grinds every day in the weight room and the classroom -- he doesn't know any better, it's just the Dowdell in him," third-year Tennessee High coach Josh Holt said.
The Vikings rode Dowdell early and often. Following his 38-yard TD run, he added an impromptu two-point conversion run as the supposed holder on a botched center snap. A moment later, he made the tackle of the ensuing kickoff.
"Trent does a great job for us," Holt allowed.
But there were other Vikings who shined, like the combo of quarterback Turner Elliott and horizontal wide receiver Barron Harkleroad, who hooked up on a 35-yard scoring bomb with four seconds left in the half to make it a 36-3 game at halftime.
Elliott's pass was on the money in the back of the end zone, like it almost was the play before when a diving Harkleroad just missed another perfect spiral that barely nicked the turf.
Tennessee High played a pair of quarterbacks in the first half, Jack Richardson coming on in relief of Elliott and looking quite comfortable throwing the football.
Elliott completed 3 of 4 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns while Richardson was 4 of 5 for 48 yards and no scores. Neither QB threw an interception.
Richardson quarterbacked the Vikings in their 54-7 season-opening loss at Greeneville, with Elliott sidelined due to a shoulder injury.
"We didn't run him (Elliott) too much tonight -- let him heal up a bit more," Holt said. "But I thought he did a great job throwing the ball. In my mind he had two touchdown passes down there -- turned around and threw the ball right back down there and he (Harkleroad) caught it."
Elliott's second scoring pass was a little shovel to elusive wideout Riley Price, who swiveled and danced his way to the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown and a 15-3 THS lead with 3:26 left in the first quarter. Price finished with four receptions for 61 yards.
The other Viking touchdown came with 4:42 left in the half, when Elijah Plumbar ran it in from the 9, good for a Tennessee High 29-3 advantage with Noah Broglio's extra-point kick.
Tennessee High called off the dogs at halftime, Dowdell and Elliott and some of the veterans giving way to younger players.
There was no scoring in the second half.
Tennessee High finished with 388 total offensive yards to East's 149 yards. The Vikings ran it for 265 yards, with backups like freshman running backs Carter Smith and Cannon Stainaker getting good looks in the second half, among others.
Harkleroad caught two passes for 54 yards.
"We talked about being physical and holding on to the football, and we did that," Holt said. "Defensively we're a bend-but-don't-break kind of thing, and we did a good job with that tonight.
"Right now, if we two roll (quarterbacks) roll in there, we're fine with it. They both are very good quarterbacks and they'll get the reps. We can't just sit one over there and not play him."
East sophom*ore QB Peyton Lingerfelt looked poised and made some good throws, completing 13 of 25 passes for 160 yards, with two interceptions.
The Patriots scored on a 30-yard field goal by freshman Caden Hughes to make it an 8-3 game midway through the first period, but a dropped pass in the end zone proved costly on that drive.
Blue Proffitt caught two passes for 60 yards to lead all receivers for East, which got four receptions apiece from Haden Jones and Devin Bowman.
A stout THS run defense, led by noseman Micah Morton and linebacker Preston Feagins, held East to minus-11 yards rushing.
Plumbar and Harkleroad picked off passes for the Vikings.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
Sullivan East | 3 | 3 | |||
Tennessee High | 15 | 21 | 36 |
First Quarter
(11:12) TENNESSEE HIGH -- Trent Dowdell 38 run (Trent Dowdell run) 0-8
(6:07) SULLIVAN EAST -- FG Caden Hughes 30 (3-8)
(3:26) TENNESSEE HIGH) -- Riley Price 28 pass from Turner Elliott (Noah Broglio kick) 3-15
Second Quarter
(10:45) TENNESSEE HIGH -- Trent Dowdell 1 run (Noah Broglio kick) 3-22
(4:42) TENNESSEE HIGH -- Elijah Plumbar 9 run (Noah Broglio kick) 3-29
(0:04) TENNESSEE HIGH -- Barron Harkleroad 35 pass from Turner Elliott (Noah Broglio kick) 3-36
Sullivan East | Farragut | |
First Downs | 7 | 19 |
Rushing Att-Yards | 13-(-11) | 33-265 |
Passes Comp-Att-Int | 13-25-2 | 7-9-0 |
Passing Yards | 160 | 123 |
Total Plays - Offense | 38-149 | 42-388 |
Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 2-1 |
Penalties-Yards | 2-16 | 10-119 |
Punts-Average | 2-32.5 | 0-0 |
Individual Statistics
Rushing
Sullivan East -- Bentley Key 2-3, Peyton Lingerfelt 7-(-1), Keyan Bare 2-(-3), Haden Jones 1-(-4), Team 1-(-6).
Tennessee High -- Trent Dowdell 14-153, Carter Smith 6-35, Knox Keesee 3-29, Elijah Plumbar 2-21, Cannon Stanaker 4-16, Evan Clarke 1-6, Graham Bailey 3-5.
Passing
Sullivan East -- Peyton Lingerfelt 13-25-2-160.
Tennessee High -- Turner Elliott 3-4-0-75, Jack Richardson 4-5-0-48.
Receiving
Sullivan East -- Blue Profitt 2-60, Haden Jones 4-37, Devin Bowman 4-32, Bentley Key 2-19, Gabe Johnson 1-12.
Tennessee High -- Riley Price 4-61, Barron Harkleroad 2-54, Preston Feagins 1-8.
