Sequatchie County’s Hunter Davenport (37) runs around left end while teammate Joseph Colson (76) blocks Notre Dame’s James Williams (9). The Notre Dame Fightin Irish visited the Sequatchie County Indians in the second round of the TSSAA football playoffs on November 11, 2016.TENNESSEE
Class 3A
ALCOA TORNADOES (12-1) at SEQUATCHIE COUNTY INDIANS (13-0)
Stars: Tornadoes QBs Walker Russell and Jaylen Myers have combined for 1,847 passing yards and Myers has another 617 rushing. Alcoa’s top RB is Colton Wright (101-1,098), and he also is their leading scorer with 14 TDs. Tykee Kellogg’s 710 yards lead the receivers. It is on defense, though, that Alcoa really stands out, especially DL Tristan Woody, Landon Ray, Dontae Walden and Ian Dunkin. The leading tackler by a long shot is LB Jack Warwick, who’s credited with 92. He also is runner-up to TFL and sacks leader Dunkin. Sequatchie’s Hunter Davenport and Kyle Cates, considered by some the best pair of LBs in the Chattanooga area, are the Indians’ tackles leaders with 118 and 115. Cates has 14 lost-yardage hits and Davenport 11. Davenport is the team’s No. 2 rusher behind Austin Stevens, Davenport with 1,112 yards and Stevens with 1,481. QB Ethan Barker has thrown for 844 yards and run for 851. Each of the trio averages more than 6 yards per carry, and Stevens and Davenport have scored 286 of their team’s 456 points. A positive performance from a senior-laden OL is crucial for the Indians.
Storyline: The programs haven’t met since the 1995 playoffs, when the Indians fell to Alcoa 35-9 in the third round of the playoffs. The Tornadoes, who have won 12 state championships, have averaged 40.3 points in the postseason while the Indians have averaged 39.7 in the past three games. Alcoa’s 17 points in a 3-point quarterfinal win over Elizabethton last week are the fewest they’ve scored since a 20-14 loss to Maryville on Sept. 11 of last season. The Tornadoes’ lone loss came early in the year against the 6A powerhouse Rebels (42-29). They have since won nine straight. They have held five opponents to 10 or fewer points. Sequatchie, meanwhile, struggled last week and was forced to overtime before edging East Ridge 21-14. That 21 was the third fewest the Indians have scored this year, but they have held seven opponents to 14 or fewer, with shutouts against Grundy County and Upperman. The most they’ve given up in any game came in a 56-28 second-round win over Notre Dame. The Indians’ 13 wins is an all-time best for the program. The keys in this one are how Sequatchie handles Alcoa’s passing game, how Alcoa contends with the Indians’ ground-and-pound and whether the Indians can control the clock.