Dec 14, 2024
Roane County’s Shay Harper, proper, is taken down for a loss by a Frankfort defender throughout Friday’s Class AA state championship sport in Charleston. (Picture by Kerry Patrick)
CHARLESTON – Though the rating dictates in any other case, Class AA state runner-up Roane County doesn’t really feel it misplaced a sport.
Particularly with what the Raiders have endured over the course of program historical past.
Starting with the struggles of profitable video games on the sphere after the consolidation within the Nineteen Nineties to lastly clearing a hurdle with the primary playoff win in 2011 to the loss of life of a former participant in 2019, the Raiders reached the state title sport for the primary time this week, however hit a snag as Frankfort’s lightning in a bottle offense received its first state championship at school historical past.
The Falcons capped off an ideal 14-0 season — tying a Class AA mark of six speeding touchdowns in a 49-14 victory Friday night time at Laidley Discipline.
Roane County closes out the marketing campaign at 13-1.
Roane County’s Lane Watson (88) is tripped up by a Frankfort defender throughout Friday’s Class AA state championship sport in Charleston. (Picture by Kerry Patrick)
“I talked to the coaches on Sunday – we’re assembly and placing the plan collectively that we thought we might win the ballgame,” Roane County coach Paul Burdette stated. “Someday late that night time I stated, ‘Guys, ultimately there is no such thing as a shedding on Friday. From what we have now come from, in 2019 we watched a participant die on the sideline. Our man.
“That’s the bottom of lows. And there’s no shedding tonight. Roane County received it doesn’t matter what.”
Roane County took the opening kickoff, ate 4 ½ minutes off the clock earlier than the drive stalled on downs by lower than a yard on the Frankfort 11-yard line.
Subsequent play from scrimmage, Frankfort’s Carder Shanholtz raced 89 yards to place the Falcons in entrance to remain at 7-0.
The primary of two first-half fumbles leading to turnovers by Roane County resulted in one other one-play scoring drive when Jullian Pattison raced 41 yards for the primary of his 5 speeding TDs.
Roane County’s Jacob Greathouse runs for a 2 yards on a fourth-and-one throughout Friday’s Class AA state championship sport towards Frankfort in Charleston. (Picture by Kerry Patrick)
A Roane County fumble on the following drive gave Frankfort a brief subject. On fourth-and-1, Pattison coated 25 yards for the TD. With 29 seconds nonetheless remaining within the first quarter, Roane County trailed 21-0.
“I knew (Frankfort) was a great soccer workforce,” Burdette stated. “We had an incredible drive to start out the sport, however we harm ourselves rather a lot within the first half and momentum is an enormous deal in video games like this. We have been simply by no means in a position to seize the momentum. We saved stopping ourselves and placing ourselves behind the sticks.
“Their offense is nice. Their line is huge, sturdy and bodily. They transfer very well. They received to our backers nice tonight. We did our greatest to try to cowl their entrance up and hold them off our backers, however they received to us and that was an enormous deal.”
Similar to the opening drive of the sport, Roane County made headway on its subsequent alternative, working the clock for practically 10 minutes. On the fifteenth play of the collection and the Raiders going through fourth-and-7 from the Frankfort 10, quarterback Jacob Greathouse seemed for Lane Watson ultimately zone however was intercepted by Braydn Tyler in a soar ball state of affairs.
The Falcons managed to beat the halftime clock as Pattison scored from a yard out with 22 seconds remaining within the second quarter and his workforce having fun with a 28-0 cushion. Frankfort ran simply 11 performs from scrimmage within the first half.
“I used to be stunned the best way we come out,” Frankfort coach Kevin Whiteman. “We got here out on fireplace and have been very bodily. I believe we set the tone.
“They’d that opening drive and I used to be a bit frightened. After that we settled in and actually performed an incredible sport. You get that momentum and it’s onerous to cease. Simply so happy with our youngsters.”
The second was extra of the identical story as Frankfort scored on its first possessions to increase the result in 49-6.
Pattison, who was named Frankfort’s Most Worthwhile Participant, completed with 178 yards on the bottom on simply 9 carries. Shanholtz added 121 yards speeding on simply 4 makes an attempt.
“Jullian is an animal – on either side of the ball he performs actually onerous,” Whiteman stated. “The road is up there blocking for him, however he’s very explosive and really decided. He performed an incredible sport.”
The Raiders prevented the shutout within the latter a part of the third quarter when Watson’s kickoff return gave his membership ideally suited subject place on the Frankfort 30. On third down, Shay Harper scored from 25 yards on the sweep.
Roane County added a second TD halfway within the fourth quarter on a operating clock. Watson raced 33 yards alongside the sideline and Clay Walker carried the ball ultimately zone on the two-point conversion.
Watson, who rushed for a team-high 134 yards on 19 carries, was named Roane County’s Most Worthwhile Participant. The Raiders’ senior trio of operating backs additionally included Harper with eight carries for 51 yards and Walker gaining 28 yards on 10 makes an attempt.
Greathouse accounted for 56 yards on six rushes.
The senior class for Roane County completed with 41 wins over 4 seasons.
“Roane County opened in 1993 and we struggled for a lot of, a few years,” Burdette stated. “Since we first made the playoffs in 2006, we have now been constructing, constructing and constructing. These youngsters have been incredible. This group would be the winningest class at school historical past and they’ll set the mark for all groups to comply with.”
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com
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