From problems with the lights to issues with the scoreboard clock to early miscues on the field, Signal Mountain’s 42-7 win over Hixson on Friday had the unmistakable feel of a season opener.
“I don’t know, it was just sort of sloppy,” Signal Mountain coach Bill Price said. “The lights out and the scoreboard not working – we needed to start playing and get it going, and when we did played really well.”
A couple of early dropped passes barely fazed an Eagles offense that scored on six of its first seven possessions and looked impressive doing it. Using a stable of running backs and the right arm of Hogan Whitmire, Signal Mountain gained 474 yards of offense, faced only two fourth downs – converting both inside the Hixson 20 – and the end of each half was the only Eagles possessions that failed to score.
“It feels awesome to look around (in the huddle) and see that many athletes and know I can go to any of them and they will make a play,” said Whitmire, who was one of 10 Eagles to carry the ball Friday.
Said Hixson coach Houston White: “They play at such a fast pace, and we really had trouble keeping up with them defensively.”
The Wildcats had troubling slowing the Eagles, but Hixson’s offense found early success behind running back Gary Cosey. Cosey had 63 of his 118 rushing yards on the first three possessions as the Wildcats moved inside the Signal Mountain 35 each time.
“I thought we moved it well, but we bogged down a couple times around their 30 there early and couldn’t capitalize,” White said. “We make a play down there and maybe it’s a 14-7 or 21-14 game and we’re right there.”
After two Donnie Garner touchdowns gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead, Whitmire delivered the knockout blow to the Wildcats. On third-and-13, he perfectly executed a play-action fake and lofted a strike that became a 87-yard touchdown play for Will Queen.
“It goes back to mental mistakes,” White said. “It’s what? Third-and-13? And then we screw up the coverage and they take advantage of it and make the play.”
Said Whitmire, who finished 11-of-17 with 250 yards passing: “I threw it deep to Will, and I knew he’d go get it.”
A touchdown run and scoring reception by fullback Zack Bowman, who managed a team-high 63 rushing yards on nine caries, and a 3-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 by Darian Hogans stretched the Signal lead to 42-0. Hixson added a cosmetic touchdown when Cosey turned a screen pass from Blaine Long into a 48-yard score late in the fourth quarter.
With a successful season opener in the books, Price was spending little time looking back.
“We expect to execute, and we did,” Price said, “but this game is over and now we have to get ready for the next one.”
Signal will play East Hamilton on Thursday night at Finley Stadium. Hixson will face Soddy-Daisy next Friday.