If East Hamilton football players were a bit overconfident heading into the start of the TSSAA Class 5A playoffs Friday night, it didn’t take long to realize Karns was more than its 3-7 record might indicate.
Being down 8-0 after a little more than a minute will do that.
Once awakened, though, the Hurricanes did what they’ve done most of the season as junior running back Jaden Haywood rushed for 198 yards and four touchdowns in what turned out to be a comfortable 34-8 win.
Region 4 champion East Hamilton (8-3) will host Region 3 runner-up Lenoir City (7-4), a three-overtime winner over Walker Valley on Friday, in next week’s second round.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
“We had a slow start,” winning coach Aaron Nance said. “We didn’t have a very good kickoff or good coverage and let them get good field position, and then the quick score. It took a minute or two to get our footing.”
The Beavers struck quickly as receiver Daesean Huckleby took a short screen pass from quarterback Ben Styles and outraced the East Hamilton defense 48 yards for a touchdown, then added a 2-point conversion.
The Canes, still in a bit of a slumber, went three-and-out on their next possession, and the visitors set sail again, converting two fourth downs in their own territory and eventually reaching the 15-yard line before stalling. An ensuing pass off a fake field goal was intercepted by East Hamilton’s Grayson Maddux at the 3.
Lifted by the defensive stand, the Canes went to work with the ball, pushing to the 13 before Haywood broke off right tackle and then down the sideline untouched to the end zone. The 2-point try after the touchdown was stuffed, but momentum had turned.
After getting the ball back, East Hamilton quarterback Wyatt Miller went to work, hitting Benjamin Spangler for 22 yards and Haywood for 9 before completing the 51-yard drive with Haywood taking a screen pass 18 yards for the score and a 13-8 lead.
Karns used hard running by Cameron George (132 yards on 32 carries) to again get inside the 30, but the drive stalled on downs as the Canes forced Styles into hurried throws on third and fourth down. Three plays later, Haywood shook off a would-be tackler at the line of scrimmage and sprinted 62 yards for a touchdown and a 20-8 halftime lead.
“It all starts up front with our offensive line, and those guys have played really well all year,” Nance said. “They are the backbone of who we are. It was a tough night for us because Karns has some experienced players out there. We were able to get Jaden a couple of swing passes to get him going, and all he needs is a little wiggle room.
“The whole first half felt like a blur; coaches didn’t keep their composure, and I didn’t keep my composure. I mean, I had two sideline warnings. I told everybody at halftime to just calm down, that we are winning the game and we’re in a good spot, but we have to get our composure back and take control, and that’s what we did.”
The second half was all East Hamilton, with Haywood getting his fourth touchdown to cap a 51-yard opening drive on a 2-yard run. Karns, which had 156 total yards on its first three drives, did not get inside the East Hamilton 20 in the second half.
“I’m so proud of our seniors and this program as a whole,” Nance said. “A lot of people when we moved up to 5A didn’t think we could hang in this new league. We had some growing pains last year, but we made the playoffs, and this year to host and win a game says a lot for this program.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.