Brainerd's Jamal Herman Jr., right, talks to doctors and a trainer about a hand injury suffered during Friday's high school football jamboree. Herman second finger on his left hand was broken when an opposing player stepped on it. He continued to play, however, in the Panthers' 8-6 win over Howard.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Brainerd’s Jamal Herman Jr., came off the field telling everyone within shouting distance that “I can’t move it. I can’t move my finger.”
Turns out it the second finger on his left hand was broken.
“A big lineman stepped on me,” Herman said.
A few minutes later, Herman, a senior tight end/defensive end, was back on the field – the finger and hand were taped up and helping the Panthers rally to beat Howard, 8-6, Friday night in the annual high school football jamboree before a sparse crowd at Finley Stadium.
“I got to play,” said after the 30-minute quarter – played with a running clock – concluded. “My finger was hurting bad, but the team needed me. I told the coach to put me back in and I would I’ll make the last play.”
The Panthers, who lost their first five games in 2015 and finished 3-7, preserved the “win” by containing the Hustlin’ Tigers on their last possession.
On Brainerd’s last series, junior wide receiver David Cosby, who wasn’t on the team’s jamboree roster, caught three passes from senior quarterback Vesta Melvin covering 28, and 17 yards, the second reception going for a touchdown.
A two-point conversion pass gave Brainerd the two-point edge.
Cosby was at Brainerd his freshman football season, but transferred to Red Bank because the family moved. He did not play football for the Lions. Then he returned to Brainerd.
“I was late coming back because of changing schools,” Cosby said. “I’m glad to be back because Brainerd is where I need to be. Me and Vesta didn’t do that much 7-on-7 things in the summer, but I already knew him from when I was here before. He just throws the ball up and I go get it.”
Melvin has plenty of confidence in Cosby.
“He’s my go-to man,” said Melvin, who completed a pass to Jaylon Calloway for the two-point conversion. “His ability is through the roof.”
McCallie 28, Giles County 0 – The Blue Tornado looked sharp, played crisp football on offense and defense and the Bobcats from Pulaski will head back home and find a drawing board to start over.
Senior quarterback Robert Riddle was happy with the offensive output, but believes the unit has room to improve.
“I felt like we executed well tonight, but we weren’t as sharp as I hope we’ll be toward the end of the season,” he said. “We used this as the thing to a game-type scrimmage we could have.”
McCallie came into the jamboree with three scrimmages under their belts: Oakland, Knoxville Catholic and Sevier County.
“Oakland and Catholic were really good, but I don’t think Sevier was as good as last year (the Smoky Bears lost to Independence, 49-14, in the Class 5A state title game),” Riddle said. “The Oakland and Catholic scrimmages really helped us get our minds straight about what we need to be doing.”
Riddle completed 4-of-5 passes for 81 yards and a 5-yard strike to Jorden Starling for the team’s third touchdown. Riddle also ran 66 yards untouched for a score.
McCallie’s defense was practically offensive as well.
Senior defensive back Kendall Watson intercepted a Giles County pass and rambled 58 yards for the Tornado’s final touchdown. Defensive back Walker Fannon, also a senior, picked up a fumble and raced for a long touchdown, but a McCallie penalty nullified the play.
Tyner 7, Hixson 0 – A rash of injuries has decimated the Rams, who went against the Wildcats with seven top players out of action.
Junior Jaylen Bowens, who starts as a wide receiver and safety and can also play quarterback, sprained his medial collateral ligament and is out for two to three weeks.
Bowens suffered the injury in a scrimmage against Baylor.
“I went in for a tackle and someone fell on my leg and my knee popped,” he said.
Senior wide receiver/linebacker Markize Gillispie has been sidelined since spring practice with a neck injury. He hopes to be back for the second or third game of the season. The Rams open against talented Notre Dame on Aug. 26.
“I got a stinger in the first spring practice,” Gillispie said. “I caught a pass and some freshman hit me in the neck. He just didn’t know how to tackle. I’ve been working out some since spring ball, but that’s about it.”
Boyd-Buchanan 14, Grace Baptist 0 – Jeremy Borders turned a pass reception into a 72-yard touchdown play to get the Buccaneers on the scoreboard.
A senior running back, Borders also broke off a 41-yard run that set up Michael Mincey’s 24-yard scamper for another score.
Needless to say, Borders was a happy guy when it was all over.
“It was amazing,” he said. “The line was blocking well and I loved it. We came in wanting to do a lot of running and kept working on the same plays. We were getting it done.”
Said new coach Carter Cardwell on Borders’ performance: “Jeremy was doing what he should be doing. He’s a big chunk yardage guy. He’s small so he’s not a much yardage after the hit guy. He has to make guys miss him.”
Chattanooga Christian 21, Sale Creek 0 – It didn’t take senior wingback Justin Wheeler to get rid of the nerves in the second “quarter” of the night.
Wheeler roared down the sidelines on a long run to put the Chargers in scoring position. On the next play, the Chargers hit paydirt.
“The line was doing a great job,” Wheeler said. “I probably should have been running harder, but that’s part of the game. It was good to get the jitters out.”
The Chargers, who have run the spread offense throughout their relative short football history, were operating from the wing-T installed by new head coach Mark Mariakis.
“It’s a really fun offense to run,” Wheeler said. “We needed a while to get used to a whole new offense, but now our confidence is sky high.”
Freshman running back Rashun Evans scored the Chargers’ second touchdown and ended Sale Creek’s next possession with Will Sabourin’s interception near midfield to set the third scoring drive in motion.
Three plays later sophomore quarterback Matthew Neff sneaked in for a touchdown.
“This just adds to our team chemistry we’ve been building and we should be good going into the season,” Wheeler said.
The Chargers’ first game is against Brainerd on Aug. 19.
(Reach Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)