The Red Bank football team was missing its top two rushers and tacklers on the season Friday night, but the Lions weren’t short on perseverance during their 15-7 home win against Livingston Academy in the first round of the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs.
With dual-threat quarterback and safety Austin Jones having to sit out due to being flagged for a pair of unsportsmanlike penalties in the regular-season finale a week earlier, when Red Bank beat Loudon to win the Region 3-4A title, the Lions turned to Mario Willis for a spark behind center.
Willis totaled 165 yards of offense (including 94 rushing) despite his first series starting at the 9:37 mark of the second quarter in what had been a scoreless first half. The senior led Red Bank’s lone touchdown drives on his first two series after taking over for sophomore Ryver Parker.
Red Bank’s defense was equally as impressive as Livingston Academy (6-5), which averaged 23 points per game in the regular season, was held to 21 yards in the first half and turned the ball over on downs three times after the break.
The Lions (6-5) had sacks from four players to help the program win at least one playoff game for the 10th time in 11 years while also avoiding what would have been its first losing season since 2015.