Sullivan South fended off a second-half rally from East Hamilton in the first round of the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs, holding on late for a 28-24 victory Friday night.
East Hamilton (7-4) scored on its opening possession, marching the ball down the field 76 yards on nine plays. With the visiting Rebels (6-5) showing blitz on second-and-long, East Hamilton audibled to a screen pass from quarterback Haynes Eller to running back Adam Caudle for a 24-yard touchdown.
The rest of the first half was dominated by Sullivan South with its monstrous offensive line and running back workhorse Julian Reed. He finished the game with two touchdowns and 257 yards on 36 rushes.
“Julian’s missed five games this season, and now he’s finally healthy again right when we needed him to have an impact,” Sullivan South coach Justin Hilton said. “He had a big night, and we’re glad to have him back.”
The Rebels fired off 21 unanswered points going into halftime. Quarterback Ethan Bergeron scored their first touchdown on a 2-yard keeper, and fullback Eli Topping finished their following drive with his own 2-yard rushing score. A muffed kickoff from East Hamilton helped the Rebels set up their third score. Reed dashed around end out of the wildcat formation from 12 yards out to take a 21-7 halftime lead.