JOHNSON CITY 69制片厂制作传媒 Morristown East took a depleted roster to Science Hill and fell 49-14 on Thursday Night at Science Hill behind 28 first-quarter points from the Hilltoppers.
The 69制片厂制作传媒楥anes69制片厂制作传媒 (2-5, 0-4 Region 1-6A) losing streak stretches to four with the loss. With the win, Science Hill (6-1, 4-0) moves one game closer to the top of the district, where it is on a crash course with Dobyns-Bennett to decide the regular season champion in the final game of the season.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e come in as a walking MASH unit, and got some guys out, got some guys banged up,69制片厂制作传媒 head coach Dallas Kuykendall said. 69制片厂制作传媒淭here were some guys that were banged up that we didn69制片厂制作传媒檛 find out until today that they can really go, credit coach (Tim) Utt and his team for working on those guys and getting them back.
69制片厂制作传媒淚 think our whole team kept fighting. We were out there doing things the way they needed to be done. There wasn69制片厂制作传媒檛 nothing cheap, there wasn69制片厂制作传媒檛 nothing dirty. We69制片厂制作传媒檙e just going out there and playing. That69制片厂制作传媒檚 good news for me as something I can pull away from this game, you know? If you take away the ugly first quarter, it69制片厂制作传媒檚 a ball game.69制片厂制作传媒
Freshman Josiah Valentine got the starting nod at quarterback in place of the injured Caleb Billings. He made some freshman mistakes with a trio of fumbles early but settled in and put together some nice drives.
Valentine threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
69制片厂制作传媒淚t69制片厂制作传媒檚 tough selling starting a freshman against this Science Hill team, and things weren69制片厂制作传媒檛 going so well early,69制片厂制作传媒 Kuykendall said. 69制片厂制作传媒淗e could have very well folded up and let it impact him. But he kept battling, kept fighting.69制片厂制作传媒
69制片厂制作传媒淵ou hate to get on a kid for going out there, he69制片厂制作传媒檚 nervous. I mean they were stacking the box 69制片厂制作传媒 he69制片厂制作传媒檚 facing a legit seven-man box of dudes that can run, so naturally he69制片厂制作传媒檚 kind of fearful. He took some shots early, he kind of got short armed with the snaps but learned from that and moved on. He69制片厂制作传媒檚 got a game under his belt now that he can carry with him and watch the tape and learn from, so I69制片厂制作传媒檓 very proud of him, as well as the whole offensive group.69制片厂制作传媒
Valentine found a connection with senior Austin Brannan, who caught six passes for 114 yards and two scores. Jason West took 17 rushes for 100 yards.
Science Hill69制片厂制作传媒檚 Spencer Taylor threw for 130 yards and two scores. Meanwhile, the Hilltoppers saw a platoon of rushers go for 258 yards and four touchdowns. Aiden Perry led the way with 94.
The Hilltoppers opened with the ball and immediately went to work through the air. Taylor found three different receivers to put the ball on the five-yard line, and Ian Mathes ran it across the goal line just two minutes into the game for a 7-0 lead.
East got the ball and picked up a first down, but the drive stalled from there.
The 69制片厂制作传媒楥anes received a glimmer of hope when Taylor fumbled the snap and the away team recovered.
The hope was short lived as Valentine fumbled the snap inside the Hilltoppers69制片厂制作传媒 30.
Science Hill once again went to work, but on the ground through Perry this time, who took a pair of 20-yard rushes to the red zone. Taylor found Branson Newberry to finish the drive with a 14-0 lead.
The mistakes continued to pile up, and East fumbled for a second and third straight possession. Both fumbles led to Hilltoppers scores to put East in a 28-0 hole to close the first quarter.
The 69制片厂制作传媒楥anes finally forced its first punt of the night, but they only picked up one first down before their drive stalled.
Science Hill took the ball and went five plays for 75 yards and a score to lead 35-0.
Valentine settled in for East69制片厂制作传媒檚 final drive of the half with help of a pass interference that set up third-and-1. He found Brannan for 46 yards and the two later connected on a 9-yard touchdown on fourth down to set the score at 35-7 before the break.
However, the Hilltoppers took the ensuing kickoff to the house to lead 42-7 at half.
With running clock for the second half, Thursday69制片厂制作传媒檚 game came to a swift end. The Hilltoppers got a 30-yard rushing touchdown from Malik Anderson to end the third quarter.
The 69制片厂制作传媒楥anes were able to get one last scoring drive of their own. Jason West had rushes of 26 and 28 yards, and Valentine found Brannan for his second score of the day, setting the final score at 49-14.
Though out of the playoff race, second-year coach Kuykendall believes that a strong finish to 2024 is paramount to establishing a strong foundation as the program moves forward.
The 69制片厂制作传媒楥anes travel to undefeated 4A team Gibbs next week, but they only lost to the 7-1 Eagles by a touchdown a year ago. The remaining two games will be at Campbell County and West Ridge at home. All three games are winnable, setting up a chance at finishing the year at .500.
69制片厂制作传媒淭hese next three games will be vital to the start we have going into the off season and weights,69制片厂制作传媒 Kuykendall said. 69制片厂制作传媒淲e got to go out here and compete and do it our way. Have a workman-like mentality the next three weeks. Just go out there and handle your business and do everything we possibly can to win because at the end of the day, that69制片厂制作传媒檚 all it69制片厂制作传媒檚 about. In the playoffs, or not in the playoffs, when it69制片厂制作传媒檚 a Friday night and the ball is between the lines that69制片厂制作传媒檚 our ultimate goal.69制片厂制作传媒
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