Central quarterback Patrick Moore will be sidelined up to four weeks after suffering a collarbone injury in the Purple Pounders’ loss last week to East Ridge.

“We did get some good news,” Central coach David Barger said. “His collarbone is cracked. It wasn’t completely broken. The best-case scenario is two weeks, but we’re probably looking at four. We have an open date coming up, so hopefully he’ll be back for the strength run against Rhea County, Cleveland, Walker Valley and Brainerd.”

Preston Womack, a slotback and fullback, moved to quarterback last week after Moore’s injury and will likely get most of the snaps tonight against Red Bank. Womack’s backup will be Daniel White, who had been moved to the offensive line.

“Daniel was our junior varsity quarterback last year, but he had bulked up to about 215 pounds so we had moved him to offensive line,” Barger said Thursday. “We’ll sure have two jerseys for him Friday night.”

Meanwhile, offensive tackle and defensive end Jackson Medley, who was taken to the hospital last Friday with a neck injury, was released Friday night and was back at practice Tuesday.

“He had some tingling, and with neck injuries you want to take every precaution,” Barger said. “You’d rather be safe than sorry but when I called his parents Friday night to check on him he had already been released from the hospital.”

David Brainerd game earlier

David Brainerd is looking at one more afternoon game.

The Wildcats’ game today with Lookout Valley was to have been their first home game under lights, but the game has been moved from 7:30 to 5.

“The poles are up but it just isn’t going to work out,” David Brainerd principal Tom McCullough said Thursday.

David Brainerd had hoped to open the season at home against Sunbright at night two weeks ago but didn’t have the lighting. Sunbright couldn’t arrive in time for a 5 p.m. kickoff, so the game was moved to Washington Hills.

“We only have four home games this year and we had hoped to play them all under the lights. It looks like our first home night game will be next week against Lancaster Christian,” McCullough said.

David Brainerd is in its fourth varsity season and has improved steadily. The Wildcats didn’t win any games in 2005 and won its first game at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee in 2006. They were within a win of a .500 season last year but lost to Tennessee Temple in their final game.

Meeks to play tonight

Walker Valley quarterback Jace Meeks will be back in action tonight after being knocked out of last week’s game against McMinn County.

“He’s been cleared to play,” Walker Valley coach Ted Lockerby said. “He has had a history of concussions and I think he might have had one last week, but he practiced Tuesday and Wednesday and should be ready to go.”

Meeks rushed for 42 yards against the Cherokees and was knocked out after a 20-yard scramble. Sophomore Houston Spencer, who started the game, will share snaps for the Mustangs, who host White County tonight.

Mathers questionable

Cleveland lineman Austin Mathers suffered an ankle injury moving some furniture Wednesday night and is questionable for tonight’s game against Brainerd.

“He twisted his ankle away from practice and will see the doctor today,” Cleveland coach Danny Wilson said Thursday.

Champs still top polls

When the first Associated Press prep poll was released this week, four defending state champions debuted atop their respective classifications.

The only two champions from last season not atop their class were Smyrna (5A), which is unranked after opening the season 0-2 with a new coach, and South Pittsburg (1A), which is No. 2 behind Trousdale County despite picking up where it left off last year by mercy-ruling rival Marion County last week.

Maryville, which extended its five-year winning streak to 62 games with a seven-point win over Alcoa, is No. 1 in 4A and David Lipscomb is atop the 3A poll. Despite its loss, Alcoa is still a solid No. 1 in 2A, and Montgomery Bell Academy, which visits Baylor tonight, is the top-ranked team in Division II.

Other area teams listed were Ooltewah (fourth in 5A), Cleveland (sixth in 4A), McMinn Central (third in 3A), Tyner (third in 2A), Boyd-Buchanan (eighth in 2A) and McCallie (ninth in D-II).

North Jackson was ranked No. 3 in Alabama’s 4A preseason poll, but after the top two teams were knocked off and the Chiefs beat larger county rival Scottsboro by 18 points last week, they assumed a familiar spot atop those rankings this week.

Baylor foe impressive

MBA appears ready to defend its Division II-AA state title after last week’s 21-6 win over perennial national power Cincinnati Moeller. That game was played Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati as part of the Kirk Herbstreit ESPN High School Challenge.

MBA (2-0), which visits Baylor tonight, amassed 443 total yards while holding Moeller to 196. Big Red quarterback Spencer Wise threw for 246 yards and had a key touchdown pass late in the third quarter with his team ahead only 7-6.

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