EVENSVILLE, Tenn. — They call it “Arkansas,” but Rhea County and coach Jason Fitzgerald might need a new name for the game-sealing touchdown play used Friday night against Soddy-Daisy.
Maybe “Deception.” Possibly “Victory.”
Fitzgerald and offensive coordinator Walt Cameron drew up a play late in the fourth quarter in which quarterback Cameron Tallent scooped up the ball under center and flung it to running back Desmond Sharp, who ran 56 yards untouched behind a team of blockers, giving the Golden Eagles a 21-12 District 5-AAA victory over the Trojans.
The win kept Rhea (4-4, 4-2) in the district race, while Soddy-Daisy needs a win against league winner Cleveland on Thursday to possibly earn a Class 6A playoff spot.
“We saw [Auburn offensive coordinator] Gus Malzahn run that play while [he was] at Arkansas,” Fitzgerald said. “We hadn’t been getting yards in the second half and figured we’d try it.”
Sharp more than equaled his rushing output on that single play, finishing with 110 yards. Soddy-Daisy running back Cedric Edwards had 199 yards rushing and both Trojans touchdowns, but quarterback Trevor Card was intercepted four times and Soddy-Daisy had both a blocked punt and two failed fourth-down-conversion attempts.
“It was a gutsy call by them; we weren’t ready for it,” Soddy-Daisy coach Kevin Orr said. “We’re supposed to have the team prepared for everything. Tonight we were our own worst enemy.”
Said Fitzgerald: “We tried to make them a one-dimensional team and keep them from making the big play. I thought our defense bowed their back from the second series on.”
The Trojans, who have suffered from the lack of a kicking game, were forced to go for two-point conversions and failed both.
“Our kicking game hasn’t been good,” Orr said. “We have some young kickers and just don’t feel comfortable with them yet.”
Tallent finished with 161 yards passing and two touchdowns to Chris Johnson, who had 77 yards on five catches.
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