Red Bank rolling, back in state quarterfinals again

Staff file photo / Red Bank quarterback Joseph Blackmon helped lead the Lions to a 47-7 home win against Macon County on Friday night in the second round of the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs.
Staff file photo / Red Bank quarterback Joseph Blackmon helped lead the Lions to a 47-7 home win against Macon County on Friday night in the second round of the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs.

Red Bank High School's football game with visiting Macon County started late but was over early.

Kickoff for the second-round matchup in the TSSAA Class 4A playoffs was delayed 45 minutes Friday night after the bus carrying the Tigers blew a tire. Once the game was underway, though, the Lions dominated, scoring on their first five possessions en route to a 47-7 rout.

"I think we played very well," said Red Bank coach Chris Brown, whose club improved to 9-3 and is set to host Upperman (11-1) in next week's quarterfinals. "We came out and played with high energy and high execution. Our coaches put together a great game plan, and our kids came out and executed."

No Lion executed better than A.D. Crutcher, who repeatedly gashed Macon County's defense and finished with 137 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries.

"All week, [the coaches] were preaching 'inside,'" Crutcher said. "We thought they'd have the outside covered, so we ran it down the middle."

(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night's Chattanooga-area high school playoffs)

photo Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Red Bank football coach Chris Brown's team remained hot Friday night, winning in blowout fashion for the second straight week to start the playoffs. The Lions improved to 10-3 overall this season and haven't lost since late September.

Red Bank's first score came when, from the Macon County 32, quarterback Joseph Blackmon threw short to Jaden Baccus, then watched as Baccus sprinted to paydirt four minutes in. With 1:23 left in the quarter, Crutcher went in from 5 yards to make it 13-0.

Ninety seconds into the second quarter, the Lions' Daunte Morris rambled 31 yards for his team's third touchdown. Red Bank went right back to work when Macon County (8-4) fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Crutcher scored from 2 yards out to make it 27-0, which was how it stood at halftime.

Red Bank kept its foot on the gas in the second half - Blackmon hit Reco Trimble for a 28-yard touchdown with seven minutes left in the third period, and Crutcher made it 40-0 three minutes later when he went 57 yards virtually untouched. Devin Reviere scored the Lions' last touchdown with 10:15 left, and the Tigers avoided the shutout when seniors Braydee Brooks and Cameron Houston combined for a 33-yard score with 8:34 to go.

Brown said "it really feels like" the outing might have been the Lions' best of the year.

"That's a credit to the kids and our coaches," the Lions coach added. "Every Monday we come back together – not just to stay status quo, but to actually get better at our schemes, get better at our fundamentals. It's really showing here late in the season.

"The score was lopsided, but that's a very good team we beat. We're just very blessed right now, just so thankful we get to practice Monday."

Contact Bob Gary at sports@timesfreepress.com.

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