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Tale of two Warriors: CAK football advances in playoffs
Adria Amos - Sat, Nov, 7, 2009
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| Carson Pegram, CAK running back, looks for room to roam versus McMinn Central.- Adria Amos/farragutpress |
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It was almost like two different Christian Academy of Knoxville football teams stepped out onto the field when CAK hosted McMinn Central Friday, Nov. 6, in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.
There was the first through third quarter team, and then there was the fourth quarter team – and what a difference there was between the two.
The first team managed to keep the game close, often leading the game by a slight margin over the No. 5-seed Chargers. The second team won the game 32-22.
The first team scored when Warriors quarterback Quinn Epperly connected with Davis Burton for a 27-yard touchdown pass on its first drive of the game.
CAK, No. 4 seed, blocked the extra point attempt when McMinn Central answered with its own touchdown five minutes later.
This first Warriors team extended the lead 10-6 when Matthew Warren kicked a 20-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
After McMinn Central took the lead 12-10, it tied up the game with a safety with only 31 seconds left in the half.
And five minutes into the second half, it scored when Epperly, who completed 26 of 41 passes for 306 yards, threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Blake Houser. CAK took the lead 19-12.
McMinn Central (7-4) quickly changed the momentum with a field goal and a TD, and at the start of the fourth quarter the Warriors were down 22-19.
Then the second CAK team showed up to play.
This team was energized, fought hard for the win, and was a lot of fun to watch.
On this team it didn’t matter if a defender was there to make the tackle, the CAK offense would drag them along until it secured the first down.
This team goes from being down by three points to being up by 10 in 1:07.
This team makes their coach so proud, he struggles to be able to talk after the game without getting choked up.
“I’m having a hard time talking right now. I challenged these guys this week because we were so disappointed [after last week’s loss], and I challenged them this week that a true testament of their character would be how they came out tonight and how they played,” head coach Rusty Bradley said.
“I told them that if that cross on our helmet is real, then how we played tonight would reflect it,” he added. “That was nothing more than guys playing as hard as they could, and that’s a testament of our character, and it’s a testament of their manhood.
“That’s a testament of their faith, and playing not just in their own strength but playing in God’s.”
Tailback Carson Pegram, who rushed for 97 yards for the night, said, “I think we clicked in the fourth quarter as a team, as a whole. We did what we did, and I’m proud of my team. They are a great team. There’s a lot we can do when we come together like that.”
Pegram had a lot of touches during the game, but not just carries. He also had six receptions for 47 yards.
“Carson’s really developed into a great player for us. I am so proud of him, how hard he works, and how hard he plays. He’s been a hard runner, a tough runner, all year. I love Carson to death,” Bradley said.
Pegram scored both Warriors touchdowns of the fourth quarter.
The first was the result of a steady drive down the field that took nearly four minutes. The second was seven seconds after an important interception courtesy of sophomore Colby Maddux.
Of Maddux’s interception, senior Houser said, “When he picked that ball off, everybody on the sideline was up, jumping around. Our morale went from average to through the roof. It was insane. It was a critical part of the game, and he made a huge play.”
Bradley agreed.
“It was huge to get the pick and to go in, score, and make it a two-score game. That was something we really needed at some point for something to kind of break them a little bit.
“I felt like that interception and then us going in to score kind of sealed the deal for us.”
A second interception by right cornerback Aaron Collett gave the CAK offense the ball and the power to run down the clock. Collett had four tackles for the night.
The Warriors (10-1) advance to the second round of the playoffs against a familiar — and powerful — foe. They travel to No. 1-rannked and No. 1 playoff seed Alcoa Friday, Nov. 13. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
“I think we got to focus a little more and not get so caught up in the big game mentality and the big game atmosphere,” Bradley said about next week’s game. “We need to go out there and just play and compete. At the end look at the scoreboard and whatever it says, it is what it is.”
Maddux said there’s a difference between last week’s loss against Alcoa and the game next week.
“The difference is we’re going to have more motivation because this could be our final game. Last week we didn’t have that much riding on it, so we could give in to that [emotion] a little bit. This time, that balloon won’t burst, as coach Bradley said.”
The Warriors may be playing without a key defensive player. Defensive end Matthew Smith injured his ankle late in the third quarter and is questionable for next week.
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