Boyd Buchanan’s opponent in the first round of the TSSAA Division II-AA playoffs was determined to keep the football out of the Buccaneers’ hands.
The home team found a way to overcome Davidson Academy’s game plan.
Boyd Buchanan made big plays on offense and defense Friday night to earn a 35-17 victory over the Bears and advance to the state quarterfinals while improving to 11-0.
One day after being named a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football semifinalist, Boyd Buchanan senior David Green scored two rushing touchdowns for the DII-AA East Region champions, and their defense kept getting the ball back for the Bucs by racking up four interceptions, including two by Darin Shannon.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
Davidson Academy (4-7) leaned heavily on running back Caden Stroud, giving him the most touches as the Bears tried to control possession and keep Boyd Buchanan’s offense on the sideline.
“They had a really good game plan,” Bucs coach Gary Rankin said. “At halftime, they had run 42 plays on offense and we just had 11, but we had two touchdowns out of those 11.”
After Davidson Academy missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt after a long opening drive, Boyd Buchanan struck fast. On the Bucs’ third offensive play, Green broke around the right side of the line and raced 72 yards for the touchdown and an early lead.
“It definitely shifted the momentum in our favor,” Green said. “But I have to give a shout-out to my line. The hole they opened was just so huge, I just had to outrun everybody.”
On their next possession, the Bucs marched 80 yards on seven plays to extend their lead to 14-0 on a 2-yard run by Sabastian Jones with 7:26 remaining in the second quarter. Davidson Academy finally got on the board late in the first half on a 36-yard field goal by Jack Walton, and the score remained 14-3 going into the break.
In the third quarter, Boyd Buchanan’s defense stepped up with two of its four interceptions, with both picks resulting in touchdowns for the Bucs — including Green’s second rushing score — and pushing the home team’s lead to 28-3. Bucs quarterback Houston Hicks threw for two touchdowns in the second half, including a 63-yard strike to Jaden Moore late in the third quarter.
“Everybody knows that we’re a run-first team, a fast, physical team,” Green said. “We knew they were going to sell out to stop the run, and we knew that would open up the passing game.”
Stroud tried to keep the Bears in the game with two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Bucs ended any threat when Shannon got his second interception with less than a minute remaining.
“I was just reading the quarterback’s eyes,” Shannon said. “I tried to lean the way he was looking and just go get the ball.”
The Bucs, who finished as state runners-up to Christ Presbyterian Academy last year in Rankin’s second season leading the program, were tied for first with CPA in DII-AA in the TSWA’s final state rankings ahead of the playoffs.
Next up for Boyd Buchanan is another home game in the quarterfinals versus Lausanne (7-2), a 53-30 winner against Pope John Paul II on Friday. Rankin said he expects his team to face an even tougher test next week at a time of year when teams are beginning to get worn down.
“We are getting beat up a little bit and had to play some subs … but that’s how it goes at this time of year,” Rankin said. “We better make sure we can quickly get healthy and be ready to go next week.”
Contact Jim Tanner at sports@timesfreepress.com.