More Info
The Star: Deuce Wallace threw for 6 TDs and 219 yards for Sevier County.Up next: Sevier County will play Independence for the Class 5A championship next Friday in Cookeville.
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - Rhea County got down two scores early and lost triple-threat Noel Patterson on the first offensive series Friday night, but what really hurt the Eagles was Sevier County's hot-handed quarterback, Deuce Wallace.
A Vanderbilt commitment who is sure to improve the Commodores' woeful offense, Wallace threw for a season-high six touchdowns, completing 17 of 28 passes - with 16 of those completions in the first half - for 219 yards as Sevier County rolled to a 35-14 halftime lead and coasted home for a 42-28 victory in the Class 5A state semifinals.
"That quarterback's awfully good. He made a lot of great throws," said Rhea County coach Mark Pemberton, whose team lost in the semifinals for the second year in a row. "They're a good football team, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win it all next week."
Sevier County (12-2) will face Independence (14-0) in the title game at 7 p.m. next Friday.
The Eagles (10-4) actually made a game of it in the second half, applying more pressure to Wallace after appearing to be defenseless before the break. Part of the Eagles' woes could be found on the bench, where Patterson sat after re-injuring his left hamstring on a first-series catch.
"He tweaked it a little in warm-ups, and then he got hit from behind on that first pass," Pemberton said. "He has been our deep threat and it makes it a little harder without him, but (Sevier County) is a really good football team with a good running back (Dorian Banks) and several really good athletes at wide receiver."
Banks finished with 130 yards on 17 carries, while Devante Matthews led all receivers with nine catches for 119 yards. Matthews had three scoring receptions and Hunter Miniard added two more. Connor Rytz had the other one.
Rhea County, running most of the night against a six-man line and two or three other defenders within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, gave a good accounting of itself. Including sack yardage, the Eagles still amassed 312 rushing yards on 45 carries, led by junior Mason Stephenson's 139-yard effort.
Even without favorite receiver Patterson, Rhea senior quarterback Daniel Dotson threw for 162 yards, but he was picked off three times and two of those were converted by Wallace into touchdowns for the Smoky Bears.
"That was a very good offense, the best spread offense we've seen all year," Eagles senior linebacker Tyler Pemberton said. "Our offense played well and put us in a position to win the ballgame. We just couldn't make enough plays on the defensive side."
Rhea cut the Smoky Bears' early lead to 14-7 when Cody Bice scored from a yard out with a second to play in the first period, but that was as close as the Eagles would get. It was 21-14 after Stephenson's 55-yard run with 8:20 to play in the second period but Stephenson added two more touchdown tosses before halftime.
Rhea's last two scores were a 36-yard run by Eddie Davis and a 5-yard run by Stephenson.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at @wardgossett.