Clevelan’s T.J. Parker (28) is upended by East Hamilton’s Alonzo Francois (1).
The star: T.J. Parker rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the Blue Raiders’ 21-14 win over East Hamilton.Up next: Cleveland will travel to Knoxville West for the Class 5A state semifinals next week.
For the second time this season, the football matchup between Cleveland and East Hamilton came down to who could make one more play at the right time. During the regular season, it was East Hamilton’s Hurricanes who made that play in a one-point victory. Friday night, it was the Blue Raiders.
Having just been pinned deep in its own territory with 4:46 left in a tie game, Cleveland zipped down the field with an eight-play, 98-yard drive, T.J. Parker scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 1:27 remaining. The Blue Raiders advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals with a 21-14 victory at East Hamilton.
Cleveland (10-3) will travel to face Knoxville West (12-1), which defeated Anderson County 32-19, next Friday. It’s the first time the Blue Raiders have advanced to the semifinals since 1995, when they were in the midst of three consecutive state championships and a 54-game win streak that would end the following year.
Parker finished with 125 yards rushing and two touchdowns.