NASHVILLE -- Until early Friday afternoon, Friday night’s Division II Class AAA game between undefeated and top-ranked McCallie and Lipscomb Academy figured to shed significant light on which schools might most challenge the Blue Tornado once the playoffs begin next week.
But then the TSSAA banned Lipscomb from the playoffs for both this season and next. According to a letter written to Mustang football families by Lipscomb head of school Brad Schulltz and athletic director Jake House the postseason ban stems from “What the TSSAA deems a recruiting violation.”
The school expects to appeal the ruling on Monday.
But after Lipscomb stunned McCallie 34-28, rallying from a 28-7 halftime hole, no less, it’s doubtful anyone besides the Mustangs wants them to win that appeal.
So just what did former Tennessee Titan and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae tell his Lipscomb team at halftime?
“He told us this could be our last game,” said Mustang quarterback Jackson Kilburg, who threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
“He told us to take control.”
It was swift and it was relentless. Lipscomb scored three times in the third quartet to toie the game at 28. All of those scores came in a span of less than nine minutes. Lipscomb then took the lead for good with 8:26 to play in the fourth on a 2-yard run from Kilburg.
“They just beat us in the second half,” said McCallie coach Ralph Potter, whose team will finish the regular season 9-1 and have a bye for the first round of next week’s playoffs.. “That’s two weeks in a row we’ve collapsed in the second half. We got away with it last week at Knoxville Catholic. We weren’t so fortunate this time.”
Later, as he waited for the Blue Tornado to board their two charter buses for home, he said, “We’ve got a tired football team. They’re tired mentally and physically. They’re worn out.”
Lipscomb improves to 5-5 in its first season moving up from Class AA to Class AAA. Whether it will get a chance to add to that will depend on what happens Monday morning in its appeal to the TSSAA. As one Mustangs coach yelled at game’s end as the school’s student body stormed the field, “Don’t let us in the playoffs. You don’t want us in the playoffs.”
SUMMARY
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MCCALLIE
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14
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14
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0
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0
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-- 28
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LIPSCOMB ACADEMY
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7
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0
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21
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6
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-- 34
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1st Quarter
McC: Ja’Von McMahan 2 yd Rush (TD), Elliott Arnold (PAT) 7-0
LA: Bo Strickland 45 yd Pass from Jackson Kilburg, Cy Pepper (PAT) 7-7
McC: Ja’Von McMahan 13 yd Rush (TD), Elliott Arnold (PAT) 14-7
2nd Quarter
McC: Ja’Von McMahan 6 yd Rush (TD), Elliott Arnold (PAT) 21-7
McC: Keeyshawn Tabuteau 21 yd Pass from Jay St. Hilaire, Elliott Arnold (PAT) 28-7
3rd Quarter
LA: Dillon Lorick 20 yd Pass from Jackson Kilburg, Cy Pepper (PAT) 28-14
LA: Kamarion Ward 16 yd Pass from Jackson Kilburg, Cy Pepper (PAT) 28-21
LA: Zekharyah Crockett 1 yd Rush (TD), Cy Pepper (PAT) 28-28
4th Quarter
LA: Jackson Kilburg 2 yd Rush (TD) 28-34, kick missed
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STATS
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MCC
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LA
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First Downs
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23
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24
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Rushes-Yards
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34-124
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25-51
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Passing Yards
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222
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313
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Total yards
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346
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364
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Passing (Comp-Att-Int)
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17-24-1
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25-36-1
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Penalties-Yards
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9-89
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5-46
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Punts-Average
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3-38.3
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3-41.3
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Fumbles-Lost
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4-1
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0-0
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Time of Possession
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43:16
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33:37
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Individual Stats
Rushing: Ja’Von McMahan 18-86; Keylan Syam 4-23; Jay St. Hilaire 10-22; Keeyshawn Tabuteau 2-(-7) (MCC); Zekharayah Crockett 6-21; Micah Burton 9-14; Jackson Kilburg 8-12; Bo Strickland 2-4 (LA).
Passing: Jay St. Hilaire 16-23-1 for 203 yards and 1 TD; Nolan Sergeant 1-1-0 for 19 yards (MCC); Jackson Kilburg 25-36-1 for 313 yards and 3 TDs (LA).
Receiving: Ja’Von McMahan 5-85; Keeyshawn Tabuteau 3-50; Carson Gentle 2-32; Zach Chari 1-21; 1-21; Nolan Sergeant 4-20; Mathieu Hebert 1-8; Ryan Larrabee 1-6 (MCC); Kamarion Ward 7-97; Dillon Lorick 6-82; Bo Strickland 1-45; Cam Bivens 3-31; TJ Briggs 3-30; Zekharayah Crockett 2-17; Kaleb Beasley 2-11; Andy Smith 1-0 (LA).
Records: McCallie 9-1 (4-1 DII-AAA East); Lipscomb Academy 5-5 (3-2 DII-AAA East).