Ooltewah’s Phillip McClain breaks the last tackle on his way to returning a kickoff for a touchdown as time expired in the first half.
Every time Anderson County questioned Ooltewah’s playoff mettle, the Owls had an answer.
Ooltewah overcame an early 14-point deficit thanks to its defense and special teams that scored three touchdowns. The Owls pulled away late for a 47-28 win in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs Friday night at James N. Monroe Stadium.
Ooltewah (8-3) travels to Lenoir City next Friday. The Mavericks’ season ended at 5-6.
“Our defense was the star of the night,” said Ooltewah coach Shannon Williams, whose unit made five interceptions. “They scored twice and we played really good defense in the second half.”
The Mavericks jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on an Andy Long 1-yard run and a 9-yard TD pass from Micah Hodge to Bradley Strickland.