East Ridge's Tranell Moore looks for running room after another big night for the Pioneers.
photo by M.A. Locke
Highlighted by a first period goal line stand and three touchdown runs by junior Traneil Moore, East Ridge used big plays on both sides of the ball to defeat visiting Chattanooga Christian, 28-0, Friday night at Raymond James Stadium in a TSSAA 3A round of 16 football game.
Moore scored on runs of 34, 4 and 32 and totaled 245 yards on the ground to reach the 2,000 yard mark for the season and Lorenzo Stewart scored from four yards out in the fourth quarter as the Pioneers stays perfect at 12-0, while CCS finishes the season at 8-4.
Lots of Prayers: The win was tempered by a late fourth quarter injury to CCS senior Kade Oglesby who was taken off the field in an ambulance to a local hospital for precautionary reasons.
He was able to move his extremities (hands, fingers and feet) and waved to the crowd with his left hand as he was placed in the ambulance with 2:45 remaining in the game which was called at that point.
“Our prayers and thoughts go out to Kade and his family,” said East Ridge coach Tracy Malone who led his team in prayer while medical staff put Oglesby in the ambulance.
Goal Line Stand: CCS took the opening kickoff and marched from its own 25 yard line to the East Ridge one, but lost the ball on downs as D.J Toney was stopped short of the end zone on a fourth down run.
Two possessions later, East Ridge was able to flip the field off a short CCS punt (to the East Ridge 39) and Moore outran the CCS defense 33 yards to the end zone and a 7-0 lead at 8:14 of the second quarter after C.J.
Bond made good on the first of four extra point attempts.
Third Quarter Score: The victors wasted little time scoring in the third quarter, moving 71 yards, all by Moore, in five plays to lead 14-0 at 9:12 remaining in the quarter
First of Two ER Interceptions: After each team punted, Pioneer punter/defensive back Braxton Moffett intercepted a Matthew Mercer pass and returned it 26 yards to the CCS 36. Moore raced to the end zone on the next play for a 21-0 lead at 11:29 remaining.
East Ridge’s Quasey Vinson set up the final score on an interception – his second in two weeks – and Stewart scored five plays later.
On the night, East Ridge had two picks with no turnovers.
“I told the team this week, play defense and hold the ball are keys when the weather turns cold and we did those things well tonight,” said Malone.
The Pioneers need to stay with that formula as region foe and 2014 state semifinalist Notre Dame comes calling next Friday.
Notes: First CCS loss by shutout in 27 games since a 35-0 setback to Grundy Co., Oct 4 2013 ... For East Ridge, it is the Pioneers first shutout win of the season ... last shutout win was a 42-0 victory against Howard, Oct. 30, 2014,
Josh Williams Steps Up: "We knew CCS would throw at Josh and go away from Jesse Jones and Josh stepped up big late in the first half with two key defensive plays to knock down a couple of passes just before halftime to keep us up 7-0," said coach Malone.
East Ridge 28, CCS 0
CCS 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0
ER 0 - 7 - 7 - 14 -- 28
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net