The point-a-minute football team moved to 9-0 and reached both plateaus with its first 100-yard rusher of the season during Signal Mountain’s 56-7 high school football victory Friday against visiting Eagleville.
According to members of Signal Mountain’s math department and the public-address announcer, the host Eagles are averaging more than a point a minute for the season. They opened the second half Friday with the running clock in effect.
“We were good tonight. The guys have done everything I have asked of them,” Signal coach Bill Price said of the senior night performance.
His Eagles also reached another high-water mark when Andrew Price broke off an 88-yard run less than nine minutes into the second quarter. That made the junior speedster their first 100-yard rusher of the season, and he wound up with 148 yards on six carries.
“It was good for us and good for him. It was his [17th] birthday yesterday,” said Coach Price, who has used as many as 15 running backs in a game.
“It feels good to have the first of the season,” Andrew said. “Everybody has been a little sick, but we all pulled through for the seniors.”
Sophomore Reese Phillips, who celebrated his 16th birthday Wednesday, rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on four carries in his role as backup quarterback. He also pulled in a 20-yard scoring pass from No. 1 quarterback Hogan Whitmire.
Also scoring for Signal were Darien Hogans on a 10-yard run, Jon Patton with a 12-yard pass from Whitmire, Gervel Morgan on a 3-yard run and Donnie Garner on a 19-yard run. Dan DeWet kicked eight extra points.
The game was the eighth in which Signal’s Eagles have been able to force the mercy rule. They had eight possessions and scored on each against a team that had given up only 67 points through its first seven games and had allowed no more than 20 in any of those games. They also had a shutout until Price ran in the reserves early in the third quarter.
The visiting Eagles had 63 rushing yards in the first half and finished with 140 for the game.
“The defense played really well,” Coach Price said.
Mitchell Hall and Zack Bowman had sacks, Bowman had a tackle for loss and Seth Weir recovered a fumble. The fumble recovery and a punt that hit a blocker in the back deep in Eagleville territory led to two of Signal’s late scores.
Eagleville’s Jordan Siler ran 11 times for 108 yards, 55 of them on his team’s only TD.