JASPER, Tenn. — Of all the big-time playmakers on the Marion County offense, it was the smallest ball carrier in the rotation who came up biggest when a momentum-shifting play was needed Friday night.
Taedyn Bibbs, all 5-foot-7, 150 pounds of him, ended the drama of a game mostly dominated by defense on his 51-yard sprint midway through the fourth quarter, with the senior’s touchdown securing a 20-12 win for the host Warriors over gritty Chattanooga Prep.
“I saw my blockers open up the hole, and I just hit it as hard as I could,” said Bibbs, who led Marion County with 122 yards on just eight carries. “When I got through the hole, I saw I had a defender one-on-one, and I knew he wasn’t going to stop me in the open field.
“It was a close game all night, so that felt great.”
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
Class 2A’s second-ranked Warriors (5-0) never trailed, but they also never quite put away Class 3A’s Sentinels until late. After opening the scoring on Eli Barnette’s 30-yard field goal, the Warriors forced and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, which they cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown run by Zaiden Humphrey.
Chatt Prep (2-3) sandwiched a pair of big-splash scoring plays around another Barnette field goal, but the Sentinels failed to convert either 2-point attempt and trailed by one at halftime. Their first touchdown came on a 31-yard run by Cedric Baulding on third-and-16, and their second was a 61-yard pass from Greg Vinson to Kentrell Watkins Jr.
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From there, both defenses controlled the game.
Chatt Prep converted a third down with a run that crossed midfield, but the ball was stripped and Humphrey recovered. On the next snap, Bibbs bolted for the end zone.
“I learned tonight that our guys refused to lose. They just won’t quit,” said Warriors coach Tim Starkey, whose team was the Class 2A runner-up last year after winning the program’s fifth state title in 2024. “I know our defense will be disappointed with giving up 12 points, but that came to a good Chatt Prep team. They’re a dangerous offense. They’re athletic and physical, but we stopped them there late when we needed to.
“Taedyn is a good change-of-pace back. I asked him to be patient because our game plan was to run him more in the second half when their defense was worn down a little. He took advantage of his chance.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com.