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Scores and Photos: Friday Night High School Football - Aug. 28
Cleveland first-year coach Scott Cummings walked off East Hamilton's football field Friday night secure in the fact there would be a celebration on the bus ride home.
"I will warn the bus driver," Cummings told his squad.
An 18-15 victory over the Hurricanes should serve warning that the Blue Raiders, albeit youthful and mistake-ridden at times, are a team to be reckoned with in a season that one can only hope is as exciting as the show the two squads put on display.
And in a game filled with big plays and momentum shifts, the biggest play of the night came when junior Skyler Davis turned a hunch into a 91-yard interception return for a score that provided the Blue Raiders (1-1) with their only points in the final half.
"I was hoping," Davis said of his route jump that led to the play.
After getting pretty much dominated in the first half when Cleveland jumped to an 11-0 lead on a field goal and Jayshawn Hill's 1-yard run, the Hurricanes (1-1) flipped the tables in the second half. Cleveland had outgained East Hamilton 124-46 in the first half before the Hurricanes roared from the dressing room with a series of short passes that had the Blue Raiders reeling.
East Hamilton took it all the way to the Blue Raiders' 6-yard line before Davis took a running start and timed a quick out pass and turned it into an 18-0 lead after his 91-yard sprint.
"They had all the momentum. We were in trouble but Skyler made an incredible play. I'm not sure what would have happened without that play," Cummings said. "It was huge."
From that point on, it was East Hamilton until Cleveland bowed its back late on defense to secure the win.
"We just spotted them too much. We had so many opportunities. We were inside the 10 twice and got nothing. You just can't do that," said East Hamilton coach Ted Gatewood.
The Hurricanes put up a fight, though, riding the arm of Nick Woods to make a few Cleveland folks anxious. Woods was 13-of-28 for 196 yards with a 16-yard TD toss to Jeffrey Coleman. Woods' 1-yard keeper pulled the Hurricanes to within 18-15 to open the final quarter, but Cleveland was not to denied.
Despite running just three plays to East Hamilton's 24 in the third period and turning the ball over on a fumble, a goal-line interception and having with two scores called back via penalty, the Blue Raiders held on with defense.
Woods was harassed on each of the Hurricanes' final four possessions, fumbling once, missing on his final six passes and getting sacked twice.
Sophomore Keegan Jones led Cleveland with 117 rushing yards on 17 carries. Hunter Gregg had five catches for 57 yards for the Hurricanes, but they were limited to 39 rushing yards.
"The defense got after it when we needed them," said Cummings, whose team will host Soddy-Daisy next week.
East Hamilton opens its region slate with a home game versus Sequoyah.
Contact James Beach at sports@timesfreepress.com