KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dealing its first shutout in three seasons, Cleveland capped is best football season in a decade, blanking Hardin Valley Academy in the Region 2-6A finale Thursday evening.
The 7-3 Blue Raiders now look to their 39th TSSAA Playoffs but must hit the road for a three-hour trek to either Kingsport of Johnson City to face the Region 1 runner up.
Cleveland takes on the loser of tonight's Region 1 title tilt as eighth-ranked Science Hill (7-1, 4-0) entertains archrival Dobyns-Bennett (7-2, 4-0) this evening at Steve Spurrier Field.
In other Region 2 action Thursday, fourth-ranked Maryville (9-1, 5-0) survived a 21-0 halftime fright from Farragut to pull out a 28-21 victory for their 23rd league championship since the turn of the century.
The state's winningest, Red Rebels, will host crosstown rival William Blount (4-6, 2-3 Region 1) in a playoff opener Friday, Nov.
8, while fourth-seeded Farragut (4-6, 2-3) will trek to the Region 1 champ.
Region 2 runner-up Bearden (6-3, 3-1), which faces Bradley Central (3-6, 1-3) this evening, will host Jefferson County (6-4, 3-2) in a playoff opener.
Hardin Valley (1-9, 0-5) had the opening possession Thursday evening in Knoxville, driving across midfield before the first of two interceptions by sophomore Kyreece Scott ended the threat and his 44-yrd return set Cleveland up just 16 yards from paydirt.
After a six-yard run by senior Isaiah Davis to start his 132-yard performance, plus being set back 10 yards on a holding call, Raider junior signal caller Chase Stephens connected with senior Trent Collins for 10 yards and junior Reggie Hubbard for 11, the latter finding paydirt.
Junior Sloan Bolaños booted the first of his four PATs with 4:14 left on the opening quarter clock and Cleveland never looked back.
The Raiders picked up a pair of second quarter scores, with sophomore Kason McGowan finding Collins for a 20-yard score to cap a six-play, 52-yard march with 7:57 to go before halftime.
The final score before the intermission was set up by junior AJ Westfield, who blocked a Hawk punt attempt and pounced on the loose pigskin at the Hardin Valley 15.
After Davis gained a dozen, Stephens faked the handoff to him, but kept it and carried the ball in from the 3.
Bolaños split the uprights again for a 21-0 advantage with just 42 ticks left on the clock.
After the intermission, Cleveland overcame throwing an interception on the fourth play when Davis exploded on a 44-yard TD dash four plays into its second possession.
Bolaños tacked on the night's final point with 7:58 left in the third period.
Both teams threatened with field goal attempts, but neither cleared the bar, plus the "Legion of Blue" defense held the Hawks on four straight downs on a fourth-and-1 situation in a big goal-line stance to preserve the shutout.
Scott thwarted another Hardin Valley drive late in the final frame when he picked off his third INT in two games and returned it 45 a yards to the Hawk 10, but three plays later the hosts took the ball back on a fumble with 88 seconds left in the game.
Reaching the century mark for the eighth time this season, Davis needed just 14 rushes to push his season rushing tally to 1,330, finding the end zone for the 12th time in the process.
Collins broke off a 44-yard run himself and posted his most offensive productive game of his high school career with 140 yards on a half dozen catches and a pair of carries.
Both throwing a TD pass, Stephens completed 7-of-11 aerials for 82 yards, while McGowan was 6-for-10 for 84 yards.
Hubbard and Sam Sartin both pulled in a pair of catches for 26 and 22 yards respectively. Martavius Smith added a 16-yard reception.
Cleveland gained 205 yards on 28 rushes, plus added another 166 throug the air, while the "Legion of Blue" forced a dozen incomplete passes and just 35 passing yards, but the hosts were a ble to gain 151 on 40 carries.
SCORING SUMMARY
|
CLEVELAND
|
7
|
14
|
7
|
0
|
--28
|
|
HARDIN VALLEY
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-- 0
|
First Quarter
CLE — Reggie Hubbard 11-yd pass from Chase Stephens (Sloan Bolaños kick), 4:13
Second Quarter
CLE -- Trent Collins 20-yd pass from Kason McGowan (Bolaños kick), 7:57
CLE — Chase Stephens 3-yd run (Bolaños kick), :42
Third Quarter
CLE — Isaiah Davis 44-yd run (Bolaños kick), 7:58
|
STATS
|
CLE
|
HV
|
|
First Downs
|
17
|
10
|
|
Rushes-Yards
|
28-205
|
40-151
|
|
Passing Yards
|
166
|
35
|
|
Total yards
|
371
|
186
|
|
Passing (Comp-Att-Int)
|
13-21-1
|
18-20-20
|
|
Fumbles-Lost
|
2-1
|
2-1
|
|
Penalties-Yards
|
9-68
|
6-76
|
|
Punts-Avg,.
|
3-13.3
|
5-38.0
|
Individual Stats
Rushing: Isaiah Davis 14-132 TD, Trent Collins 2-46, Anthony Eddins 4-10, Derrick Dowell 1-8, Emilio Greene 2-7, No. 30 (not on roster) 2-6, Chase Stephens 1-3 TD, Kason McGowan 2- -7 (C); Kaden Cutcher 18-69, Ryder Dozier 13-34, Levi Amey 5-28, Dylan Umansky 3-12 (HV).
Passing: Kason McGowan 6-10-0 84 TD, Chase Stephens 7-11-1 82 TD (C); Dylan Umansky 8-20-2 35 (HV).
Receiving: Trent Collins 6-94 TD, Reggie Hubbard 2-26 TD, Sam Sartin 2-22, Martavius Smith 1-16, Brayden Meija 1-6, Kyreece Westfield 1-2, Nathan Shropshire 1-0 (C); Andrew Perkins 2-11, Kaden Cutcher 1-7, Garrett Light 1-6, Isaac Shelby 1-5, RJ Bernardo 1-4, Cruize Furman 2-2 (HV).
Records: Cleveland 7-3, 3-2 Region 2-6A; Hardin Valley 1-9, 0-5 Region 2-6A.