EVENSVILLE, Tenn. – Christian Simon was up to his usual tricks and topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark, and A.J. Velasco was high-stepping after sitting out with concussion issues.
But for all the power up front and the two backs’ slip-through-the-cracks dashing, Rhea County’s fortunes came down to diminutive kicker Haden Frashier, a 5-foot-7, 150-pound junior. His 30-yard field goal midway of the third quarter proved the difference as the Eagles held on for a 38-35 victory over longtime rival Soddy-Daisy.
“That made it a two-score game, and we had to play catch-up the rest of the way,” Trojans coach Justin Barnes said. “A two-score game you have to take advantage of your possessions and make them count. And you have to make your possessions count against them, especially, because they’re going to grind it out.”
Twice more the Trojans closed to within three points, but the physical Eagles twice more extended the lead back to 10.
Soddy-Daisy closed back to within three with two minutes to play, but an onside-kick attempt failed and the Eagles were able to run out the clock.
Rhea coach Mark Pemberton grimaced when asked if he could live with the penalties (12 for 140 yards) and the fumbles (the Eagles lost two of four), then looked up at the scoreboard and the final tally.
“Lord, no, we’ve got to do better and we absolutely have to hold on to the football, but at least we won,” he growled with an intense frown. “We’ll take it, though. That’s a win against a good offensive football team.”
It was senior night but even more importantly a night when Rhea, which has stumbled more than once, gritted it out and left the field with the knowledge that it would host a first-round game when the playoffs begin in three weeks.
The Eagles (5-4) completed Region 4-5A play with a 3-1 record, good enough to secure second place. Soddy-Daisy (4-4, 0-3) still must play Walker Valley, most likely for the final playoff position.
“We had some missed opportunities and we got in a situation where we were having to play guys that had very little experience,” Barnes said. “Couple of times in the first half we were moving and then had a couple of busts that killed drives.”
Simon finished with 195 yards and Velsasco with 107 as Rhea pounded out 337 yards on 47 carries. Simon also had 41 receiving yards and a TD to go with two rushing scores, and Velasco added another. Quarterback Zack Pemberton added another TD.
While Soddy-Daisy quarterback Gavin Chambers filled the air (15-34-1) for 193 yards, Ty Boeck was the Trojans’ workhorse, carrying the ball 14 times for 78 yards and three TDs. Chambers had touchdown passes of 5 and 64 yards to Beau Blaylock and Jarvis Smith, respectively.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.