Rhea County grinds to win against Walker Valley on rainy night

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Rhea County quarterback Caleb Carr (4) is knocked out of bounds by visiting Walker Valley's Tyler Goldman, forcing a fourth down during Friday night's TSSAA Region 4-5A game in Evensville, Tenn. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Rhea County quarterback Caleb Carr (4) is knocked out of bounds by visiting Walker Valley's Tyler Goldman, forcing a fourth down during Friday night's TSSAA Region 4-5A game in Evensville, Tenn.

By Gene Henley September 27, 2024 4 min read

EVENSVILLE, Tenn. — “Flashy” would not be a word that could accurately describe Rhea County’s win over Walker Valley on Friday night.

It was a grind, with both teams dealing with the elements — including a steady downpour for the majority of the contest — and the host Golden Eagles finishing with just 161 yards of total offense while not having a play that gained more than 10 yards after the first series of the game.

And they were the winners of the 16-0 result, improving to 3-2 overall by coming out on top in their TSSAA Region 4-5A opener.

What the Golden Eagles were against Walker Valley was solid on third-down conversions (6-for-14), solid on defense (limiting the visitors to 2-for-12 on third down) and better on special teams. Austen Fugate averaged 37.3 yards on a trio of punts, pinned the Mustangs back and nailed a 41-yard field goal — followed by a kickoff that went through the hands of a Walker Valley returner, was recovered by Rhea County’s Ace Robinson and led to a Chauncey Odom 2-yard touchdown that put the game away in the fourth quarter.