DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — One thing Chandler Tygard promised when to took over the Cleveland football program was an exciting brand of offense.
That has proven true throughout first first season, with Friday evening's TSSAA Playoff battle with eighth-ranked and Region 1-6A champ Jefferson County.
His Blue Raiders ut up 469 yards of offense and 36 points, however even though they trailed by just two points with 3:18 to go, the Patriots were able to get one last score for a 44-36 outcome in their first postseason victory since 2003.
The heartbreaking loss wrapped up Cleveland's season with a 6-5 record, while now 10-1 Jefferson County will host ninth-ranked Region 2 runner-up Bearden this week in Round 2. The Bulldogs (8-3) blank Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett 27-0 to advance.
A trio of 65-plus plays put the Patriots up 21-8 at the half over Cleveland, which they stretched to 31-15 at the end of three frames before the teams combined for a thrilling 34-point final 12 minutes.
"We played the worst first half of the year against Jeff County, but still found ourselves down 13 at half. (A 50-yard) Touchdown (by senior Mycah Jordan) called back and some other missed opportunities," Coach Tygard assessed the first half, whose team had eight penalties for 65 yards in the opening 24 minutes.
"I am proud of the second half effort for the boys. We recovered two onside kicks, hit a hook-and-ladder (for 33 yards on a fourth-and-8 situation), and cut the lead to two points.
"We just couldn’t get one more stop. Those wild shootouts are fun for the fans and our games always seem to turn into the most entertaining football being played out there. Win or lose, we seem to make it exciting," he added.
"Year ones are hard, and this year was no exception. New coaches, schemes, players, and philosophies all coming together in May, leading up to now. I’ve said that this year is more like Year 0, because of how much we had to change in the program and how much we are still changing," Coach Tygard continued. "New uniforms, LED lights, and lots of field house improvements are in the works for next year.
"I am proud of the way the seniors bought into our system this year. They have laid the foundation of what is coming in these next few years.
"The expectations were so low when we started, but they have brought back the belief of what Blue Raider Football is about. When our program is rolling again soon, they’ll be the ones who can say that 'We believed first. We started this' As a program, we couldn’t be more excited for the next few years on Raider Drive," he concluded.
Hosting their first playoff game in 20 years, Jefferson County opened the scoring Friday one a 69-yard pass on a sophomore connection from QB Mason Henderson to Shawn Jackson with 3:09 left in the initial quarter.
After senior Cam Lockerby returned a short kick 23 yards to the Raider 48 on he ensuing kickoff, Cleveland needed just a half dozen plays to answer.
Senior signal caller LJ Adams hit a wide open Trent Collins for a 20-yard score. Junior Lucas Szymborski ran the ball in for the two-point conversion with 1:49 on the clock.
The lone Raider lead of the night was short-lived as the hosts needed just three plays to go 81 yards with Jackson once again doing the damage, this time on a 66-yard yard that appeared stopped at the line of scrimmage before he changed course and broke free.
Jeff County added to its lead after chewing time off the second quarter clock with a 17-play march that ended with a 37-yard field goal attempt that failed, but then turned around on the next snap and picked off one of four interceptions on the night with Bryson Letterman returning it for a 65-yard "Pick 6."
Ironically the following Cleveland possession also ended with a Letterman 65-yard interception return, but this one started in the end zone, preventing a Raider score.
After the intermission, a Tygard special onside kick was recovered by junior Isaiah Davis, setting up a 53-yard, six-play scoring march with Adams hitting sophomore Brayden Carroll for the touchdown. A PAT kick by sophomore Sloan Bolaños trimmed the deficit to just six points just 2:10 into the second half.
The Patriots answered with a six play march that ended with a 32-yard field goal by Luke Haston to push the edge to nine points with 7:32 on the third quarter clock.
Cleveland was able to take the ensuing kickoff and used six plays to drive to the Jeff County 28, but a failed reverse and an incomplete pass on a fourth down play gave the ballback to the hosts.
After the teams traded punts, a short kick put the Patriots just 35 yards from the end zone and four plays later junior Skylar Thomas scooted 22 yards to paydirt and the extra point made it a 16-point difference.
Undaunted, Cleveland's offense answered with an eight play, 80-yard march, A screen pass from sophomore Chase Stephens to Jordan went for 35 yards to set up a 19-yard toss to Davis for the score.
Szymborski bulled in for his eighth two-point conversion of the season to close the gap to eight points with 10-17 remaining in the contest.
After a failed onside kick, Jeff County found paydirt again four plays later on a 54-yard scoring toss to Jackson, plus a PAT to push the difference back to 15.
Cleveland was able to put a scare into the home crowd with a pair of scores in a 41-second span to pull within just two points.
The first score came on an 87-yard pass-and-catch from Stephens to Davis with 3:59 left, before after another successful onside kick, Stephens drilled Adams in the end zone from 17 yards out at the 3:18 mark.
The hosts were able to snatch up the ensuing onside attempt and returned to the Raider 38. Three plays later senior RB Omarian Mills capped his 168-yard effort with a 25-yard scoring dash.
Knowing the extra point would put the deficit to a two-score difference, Raiders Adams and senior Brian Beard broke through the line to clock the ensuing extra-point kick, to leave it at an eight-point edge.
Getting he ball back with 1:54 to go a facemask penalty on the kick return pushed the ball back to the Cleveland 9.
After a pair of incomplete passes and a six-yard sack, the Raiders were facing a fourth-and-12. Adams stepped back into the QB roll and was able to find senior Aaron Smith near the first down stick, but when he tossed back to the trailing Jordan the hook-and-latter went for a 33-yard gain to keep hope alive with a minute to go.
However two plays later, the Patriots picked off their fourth interception of the evening to seal the victory.
Jackson paced the Patriots with 203 yards on a trio of receptions and three rushes, with a pair of TDs. Jeff County gain 312 yards on 45 rushed, plus completed 11 passes for 179 yards for a 491 total.
Stephens and Adams combined to complete 23 passes for 326 yards, the former connecting on 16-f 25 for 242 yards an a trio of TDs, while the latter went 7-for-12 for 114 yards and a pair of scores.
The pair connected four times with Adams gaining 14 yards and scoring a TD.
Davis pulled in four receptions for 145 yards to go with 27 yards on a pair of rushes, finding the end zone twice.
Carroll finished with seven catches for 84 yards and a score before he went out with an injury midway through the third quarter. Jordan also pulled in four receptions for 79 yards.
SUMMARY
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CLEVELAND
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8
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0
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7
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21
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-- 36
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JEFFERSON CO.
|
14
|
7
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10
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13
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-- 44
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First Quarter
JC — Shawn Jackson 69-yd pass from Mason Henderson (Luke Haston kick), 3:09
C — Trent Collins 20-yd pass from LJ Adams (Lucas Szymborski run), 1:49
JC — Jackson 66-yd run (Haston kick), :43.9
Second Quarter
JC — Bryson Letterman 65-yd. interception return (Haston kick), 1:36
Third Quarter
C — Brayden Carroll 18-yd pass from Adams (Sloan Bolaños kick), 9:50
JC — Haston 32-yd field goal, 7:32
JC — Skylar Thomas 22-yd run (Haston kick), :20.2
Fourth Quarter
C — Isaiah Davis 19-yd pass from Chase Stephens (Szymborski run), 10:17
JC — Jackson 69-yd pass from Henderson (Haston kick), 8:35
C — Davis 87-yd pass from Stephens (run failed), 3:59
C — Adams 17-yd pass from Stephens (Bolaños kick), 3:18
JC — Omarian Mills 25-yd run (kick blocked), 1:54
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STATS
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C
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JC
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First Downs
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17
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22
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Rushes-Yards
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29-113
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45-312
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Passing Yards
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356
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179
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Total yards
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469
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491
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Passing (Comp-Att-Int)
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23-38-4
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11-21-0
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Punts-Average
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5-38.4
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3-30.0
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Fumbles-Lost
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1-1
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1-1
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Penalties-Yards
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11-86
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6-55
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INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing: Mycah Jordan 9-42, Isaiah Davis 2-27, Brian Beard 8-24, LJ Adams 5-18, Lucas Szymboski 2-5, Chase Stephens 2-3, Brayden Carroll 1- -6 (C); Omarian Mills 30-168 TD, Shawn Jackson 3-76 TD, Skylar Thomas 3-29 TD, Jackson Long 1-22, Dallas Williamson 5-17 (JC).
Passing: Chase Stephens 16-25-2 242 3 TDs, LJ Adams 7-12-2 114 2 TDs, Mych Jordan 0-1 (C); Mason Henderson 11-21-0 179 2 TDs (JC).
Receiving: Isaiah Davis 4-145 2 TDs, Brayden Carroll 7-84 TD, Mycah Jordan 4-79, Trent Collins 1-20 TD, LJ Adams 4-14 TD, Aaron Smith 1-8, Nathan Shrophshire 1-3, Sam Sartin 1-3, Lucas Szymborski 1-0 (C); Shawn Jackson 3-127 2 TDs, Bryson Letterman 4-36, Dallas Williamson 2-16, Omarian Mills 1-0, Dustin Roberts 1-0 (JC).
Records: Cleveland 6-5; No. 8 Jefferson County 10-1.