Big plays - on both sides of the ball - led to a big win for East Ridge on Wednesday night as the Pioneers opened the 2019 prep football regular season with an impressive 38-8 nonregion win over visiting Whitwell.
Class 4A's East Ridge forced four turnovers and scored five times on plays covering 35 or more yards, turning the game against the reigning Class 1A state champions into a track meet.
"Our speed was the story of the night," Pioneers coach Tim James said. "I thought both offensively and defensively we were able to break into the open and use their speed for some really big plays.
"The kids battled hard and have come together as a team. The sky's the limit for these guys."
East Ridge senior Jalen Boykin after a night of big plays by the Pioneers. Boykin has 75 yards and a rushing TD and returned an interception 35 yards for another score #bestofpreps pic.twitter.com/0ri0BrWVSh
— Stephen Hargis (@StephenHargis) August 22, 2019
East Ridge is trying to return to the playoffs after going 3-7 last year to end a run of three straight postseason berths.
The Pioneers scored three touchdowns off Whitwell turnovers in the first half, but ultimately the difference was the speed factor as each time an East Ridge athlete got a step, it turned into a sprint to the end zone.
Keanu Johnson got the offensive fireworks started on East Ridge's second possession when he turned the corner and raced 90 yards for a touchdown. Three plays later, Jalen Boykin stepped in front of a pass by the Tigers and returned the interception 35 yards for another score.
After Whitwell muffed a punt, East Ridge added to its lead with a two-play, 32-yard drive highlighted by Cameron Sanders' 24-yard pass to Johnson, who then capped it with an 8-yard touchdown run.
Marquan Acklin added a 60-yard scoring sprint midway through the second quarter, and Jamii Bowman put an emphatic end to the first half with an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown, giving the Pioneers a 32-0 halftime lead.
"This one is on me," said first-year Tigers coach Travis Olinger, whose team now must prepare for a game Saturday at Bledsoe County as part of a grueling season-opening week. "I took it way too easy on the guys this past week trying to rest them since we have two games in one week.
"I shouldn't have done that. When we got off the bus I could just tell we weren't in it mentally. I made all of our guys look at the scoreboard because I don't want them to forget this. We're a lot better than this."
East Ridge coach Tim James said the difference in the game was his team’s speed advantage #bestofpreps pic.twitter.com/mYdAsJfMXj
— Stephen Hargis (@StephenHargis) August 22, 2019
East Ridge, which plays at Bledsoe County on Aug. 30 in the second game for both teams, opened the second half much the way it had closed the first as Boykin broke free for a 63-yard touchdown run on the first play of the third quarter.
Whitwell outgained the Pioneers 223-191 in offensive yards, including 208-167 on the ground. The Tigers got their touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard run by Jace Kilgore; quarterback Thomas Ridge added the 2-point run.
Trenton Stockwell led all rushers with 116 yards on 23 carries for the Tigers.
Johnson led East Ridge with 92 yards on just four carries and the two scores, and Boykin added 75 yards on two carries with one rushing touchdown and another off an interception.
"This will boost our confidence," Boykin said. "We came in here determined to win, that's all. We played hard and smart and really good on defense. When we play slower teams like this, our speed is a big advantage for us."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.