Red Bank changed its starting quarterback back to Caleb Tate because the Lions had two weeks to prepare for the game.
East Ridge changed its quarterback during the District 6-AA contest.
East Ridge star JoJo Tillery injured his left ankle in the second quarter of Red Bank's 14-7 win in Red Bank Community Stadium, where it became so foggy that down markers were difficult to see from the home side of the field to the visiting side.
"It's a high-ankle sprain," East Ridge coach Tracy Malone said. "We're so quarterback-centric with the things we do with run-pass options, and all that went out the window, so then it became a gut-check thing for our offensive line.
"It's hard to play OL when the defense knows what's coming."
The Lions (4-3, 3-0) opened the season with Tate as the quarterback starter, but Brett Perry started two weeks ago before a bye week allowed the staff and players to worked on some games. Four players took snaps for the Lions in their win. Tate started, Malik Davis ran out of a shotgun formation, Perry played in the fourth and Courtney Stamper took a direct snap into the end zone.
"It's a competition every week right now," coach Chad Grabowski said. "It's a next man up. Nobody has taken it over. We keep having to make adjustments.
"We got back to fundamentals, and our defense really worked because we stopped their power game. We did a good job containing JoJo. When he went down, it changed big-time for them."
The Lions took control of District 6-AA, setting up a showdown with Hixson (5-2, 2-0) for complete control heading into the final weeks of the season.
"It's going to be a big battle," Grabowski said. "It's going to be a good one."
Friday's win wasn't easy.
Tilley's backup, Matthew Yarbrough, drove the Pioneers inside Red Bank's 10-yard line with less than five minutes to play by completing five straight passes and running for a first down. But a bad snap on third down and an incomplete pass on fourth down crushed East Ridge's chance for a tying score.
"Matt came in and did some things OK; some things he didn't so well," Malone said. "He's learning. He stood in there and took some shots.
"Tonight was a growing-up kind of thing for him."
Before the injury, Tillery found Quasey Vinson streaking open down the left hash-markers and threw a perfect pass for a 53-yard touchdown.
Red Bank responded with a 51-yard sprint by Davis to the 4-yard line on the Lions' next snap. Stamper finished the drive by taking the snap into the end zone.
Tillery twisted to the ground with 9:08 to go in the second quarter. Trainers assisted him to the sideline as he hopped on his right leg with each arm around a trainer. A few minutes later he had his pads off and ice wrapped on his left ankle.
In the third quarter Tate tossed a throwback screen to Demarcus Rivers, who weaved his way for a 66-yard score.
"We watched a lot of film in the off week, but the offense needs to pick it up for next week," Tate said. "Two weeks ago I learned that I need a faster tempo."
Contact David Uchiyama at timesfreepress.com