DECATUR, Tenn. – Meigs County quarterback Logan Carroll and fellow senior Bryson Falls dropped to the ground near their own end zone late Friday night as the clock hit zero on the game and their high school football careers.
For a program that had played for the past two TSSAA Class 2A state titles in the BlueCross Bowl, the sting of a second-round defeat resonated with an inspirational Meigs County senior class that was a part of 50 wins in four seasons.
Trousdale County beat the Tigers 16-8 at Jewell Field, battling back from an 8-0 halftime deficit in a matchup that seemingly should have been deeper in the playoffs for both sides given their stature.
“One of our seniors after the game said ‘I let everybody down,'” Meigs County coach Jason Fitzgerald said. “I told him and all of our seniors, ‘You haven’t let anybody down’. This was their 55th game they played in five years. As bad as they hurt, if this is the worst thing they go through in life … well that’s one hell of a life.
“Yeah, we all wanted to win a state championship. But when these guys look back at their career, they should all hold their heads high. I am proud to have coached them. They played hard. They played so hard.”