Hixson 28, Page 21Star: Hixson’s James Cole had 178 yards rushing, a 95-yard TD, two interceptions, eight tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.Up next: Hixson (9-2) will meet Livingston Academy in the second round, while Page ends the season at 6-5
Hixson senior running back and safety James Cole smiled and then paused before pondering the question of whether Friday’s TSSAA Class 4A playoff opening-round clash with Page now stood as the best game of his high school career.
There was no question that Cole left an indelible mark on Hixson’s 28-21 victory over the visiting Patriots. The senior’s collective stat lines from his offensive and defensive performance rank as one of the most impressive in the entire area this season.
On offense, Cole rushed for 178 yards on 21 carries and immediately changed the momentum in the early moments of the game after the Patriots had driven the ball to Hixson’s 1-yard line before fumbling back to the Wildcats. On the second play from the shadow of the Hixson goal line, Cole raced past the Page front line and went 95 yards for the game’s first score.
Hixson’s James Cole breaks away from Page defenders Tyler Thieman, left, and Tim Cotton, center, to run a 95-yard touchdown.On defense, Cole pulled in two interceptions, the most impressive of which was an acrobatic takeaway from a Page receiver in the end zone with Hixson leading 21-14 in the third quarter. One series earlier, Cole stripped and recovered a Page fumble at the Hixson4.
He also killed a late fourth-quarter Page drive with his second interception and contributed eight tackles to a Hixson defense that forced five Patriots turnovers and kept a high-powered offense in check for most of the evening.
With the evidence in front of him, Cole answered the question of the moment and quickly pivoted to the total team performance.
“I think so. I do think this was my best game,” he said. “I was having a lot of fun out there. I have to give the credit to our offensive line and our entire defense. I was in the right place at the right time.
“Coach told us that it was going to come down to which team could make the plays,” he added. “I was just trying to play hard and do what I could to help the team.”
“James is a phenomenal player for us. He does a great job,” said Hixson coach Dan Duff, who noted his team’s prior playoff experience as a key factor in the game. “These kids have been in the playoffs before, and they know what it’s about.”
After enduring a blocked on the first series of the game and seeing the Patriots drive the ball inside the Wildcats’ 5-yard line, Duff saw his defense stiffen and force the first of five Page turnovers.
With the score tied at 14 at halftime, Page drove inside the Hixson 10 before Cole forced the fumble and opened the door for a 96-yard Wildcats drive that was capped by Marshall Cooper’s 35-yard run. It was his second touchdown of the night.
Tyrik Twitty finished off an 80-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run that cashed in Cole’s end-zone interception, putting Hixson up 28-14 with 9:20 left in the game.
Page pulled with 28-21 on a 66-yard touchdown drive and looked to be in position twice to grab the momentum in the final minutes. However, the second interception by Cole and a final pickoff by Jordan Johnson ended those drives and locked the game down for the Wildcats.
“The five turnovers really hurt us, especially with an interception in the end zone and two fumbles inside the 5-yard line,” said Page coach Charles Rathbone. “You can’t defeat good teams playing like that, and Coach Duff had his team ready to play. Hixson played hard. They are a classy team and I hope they go a long way.”
“We’ve had big plays again tonight. We are a ball-control offense and we played strong defense,” said Duff, whose team had 414 total yards of offense, all on the ground. “We’re a triple-option team and we are going to make you play assignment football. That’s who we are and that’s what we do. It was a good team win for us, and we get to move on to next week.”
Contact Greg Thompson at sports@timesfreepress.com