COLUMBIA, Tenn. – An early two-touchdown deficit did little to deter host Columbia Central.
The Lions clamped down on Ooltewah after its quick start and defeated the Owls 31-13 in a TSSAA Class 5A football playoff quarterfinal Friday.
Columbia (11-2) will host Powell in a semifinal next Friday.
The Lions didn’t score their first points until 5:55 before the half, but then they crammed 17 in before the halftime horn and took a four-point lead.
Chris Martin scored the first points on a 5-yard run, and Matthew Markham passed to Dre Hall over the middle for a 57-yard touchdown.