Powerful Alcoa, a perennial state championship contender, defeated visiting Red Bank, 34-0, Friday night and returned to the TSSAA title game for the fifth straight year.
The Tornadoes (12-2) dominated Friday’s Class 3A semifinal contest just like it did in two regular-season games against the Lions (11-3). Alcoa beat Red Bank in 2016 and 2015 by a combined 76-0.
Alcoa, which is 15-2 in championship games, now has outscored the Lions 100-0.
Coach Gary Rankin’s squad is now 16-4 in the semifinals and has a 102-15 playoff record since 1977.
The Tornadoes were 2-2 on Sept. 1, but will go into the 2017 title game against the Pearl-Cohn-Covington winner on Nov. 30 at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville riding a 10-game winning streak.
Red Bank, coach by Chad Grabowski, had won six straight after a 45-42 loss against Walker Valley on Oct. 6. The Lions were making their fourth straight playoff appearance and fourth trip to the semifinals since 2000.
Alcoa’s K’vaughn Tyson scored two rushing touchdowns on 3-yard runs and quarterback Walker Russell threw a pair of touchdown passes covering 37 and 36 yards, the last to JR Jones.
The Lions' best scoring opportunity game in the fourth quarter with a first-and-goal at the Alcoa 6. The Tornadoes' defense rose to the occasion and took over on downs at their own 10 with 4:20 remaining.