Ooltewah holds off Hardin Valley, 35-28 [photos]

Ooltewah's Sincere Quinn (1) follows a blocker during the Owls' 35-28 win over Hardin Valley in their Class 6A state playoff game Friday night at Ooltewah.
Ooltewah's Sincere Quinn (1) follows a blocker during the Owls' 35-28 win over Hardin Valley in their Class 6A state playoff game Friday night at Ooltewah.

For once, it looked like winning a game against a good team was going to be easy for Ooltewah, but the victory turned out to be 35-28.

The Owls scored on their first two plays and led 14-0 midway through the first quarter. After finding high gear in the third quarter with their running game, the Owls led 35-14 over Hardin Valley with 10:28 left in the first-round game of the Class 6A state playoffs.

Nine minutes and 37 seconds later, senior linebacker Jarian Green had to make a fourth-down stop at the 2-yard line to keep Hardin Valley from tying the game and forcing overtime.

"It just figures we would have to stop them on the goal line with a minute left after giving up a 21-point lead," Ooltewah coach Scott Chandler said after his Owls earned a trip to Farragut with the seven-point win at James M. Monroe Stadium. "But you know, that's a good football team we played. What a stop by Jarian when we needed it."

As they have done all season, senior quarterback Kyrell Sanford and senior running back Sincere Quinn led the way for the 9-2 Owls. Sanford ran for three touchdowns and finished with 112 yards on 11 carries, while Quinn scored twice and rushed for 163 yards on 18 carries.

"The offense did what it needed to do, and the defense did what it had to do when it was time to get things done," Sanford said. "It's just the way we roll."

In a startling beginning to the game, Ooltewah's Chase Sanders recovered a backward pass on Hardin Valley's first play of the game, and Sanford scored the game's first points on the Owls' first play. The first of five extra points by Braeden Haynes put Ooltewah in front 7-0.

After the Hawks (6-5) marched down the field, the Ooltewah defense stopped them on downs at the 17. On the next play, Quinn went around the left end and blew past the defense for an 83-yard score that made it 14-0 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.

"He ran right past all of us," said Hardin Valley coach Wes Jones.

The score was 14-7 at halftime, but the first of three touchdown passes by Hardin Valley quarterback Grayson Vaughn tied the game at 14 with 7:54 left in the third quarter. Then Ooltewah found high gear.

After gaining 39 yards on its next seven possessions and 16 plays, Ooltewah scored three times over the next 9:26 as Sanford scored on runs of 51 and 12 yards and Quinn scored from 16 to give the Owls a 35-14 lead.

Vaughn threw two touchdown passes to bring the Hawks to within seven with 6:04 left on the clock. Ooltewah went three and out and the Hawks took over at their own 37 with 3:27 left in the game. They drove to the Ooltewah 9 with 1:34 left. The Owls defense then rose up and stopped the Hawks.

Green ended the game with a brutal hit on Vaughn on fourth down.

"We have history with Farragut," said Chandler, referencing a quarterfinal loss three years ago to the Admirals after leading 42-14 at halftime. "We scrimmaged them this year. They know us, and we know them."

Contact Davis Lundy at sports@timesfreepress.com.

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