|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Another quick start for CAK, another loss to Alcoa
Warriors fall in Class 3A
second round, 31-10
Adria Amos - Sat, Nov, 14, 2009
ALCOA — For the second time this football season, Christian Academy of Knoxville started off strong against Alcoa.
Unfortunately, the unbeaten Class 3A powerhouse and top seed took the lead very late in the first half, and the No. 5-seeded Warriors couldn’t manage to get back on top, losing 31-10.
“They did a great job. They gave everything they had and that’s all I can ask of these guys,” head coach Rusty Bradley said. “They fought and fought and fought and they just kept fighting through and handling things. I couldn’t ask any more of these guys than what they did. I’m proud of them.”
CAK (10-2) scored the first time it got its hands on the ball. Junior Marcus Walker took the kickoff at the Warrior 23-yard line and, managing to evade all Alcoa defenders, ran it 77 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.
“We came out ready to play and we were focused. Marcus made a big play on the kickoff,” Bradley said.
Alcoa slowly drove the ball down the field on their first possession, but the Warriors defense kept them out of the end zone. The Tornadoes had to settle for a 42-yard field goal with 3:54 left in the first quarter.
CAK’s next drive started at its own 25. By the end of the first quarter, they managed to move the ball to Alcoa 24. The Warriors led 7-3.
Four plays into the second quarter, CAK faced a fourth-and-three at the 17. Bradley decided to attempt the field goal. Senior Matthew Warren’s kick was good, and the Warriors lead increased to 10-3 with 10:22 on the clock.
The Tornadoes (12-0) responded with their own TD, tying up the game with just over four minutes in the half.
CAK was forced to punt away their next possession, and Alcoa capitalized on the opportunity, taking the lead with another touchdown. With just 1:06 left in the half, CAK was down for the first time.
Another Warriors score looked possible when quarterback Quinn Epperly and his many receivers managed to move the ball to Alcoa’s 32 with plenty of time left on the clock.
Then came back-to-back penalties — a holding penalty and intentional grounding penalty to be exact. With just seconds on the clock, CAK faced a first-and-51.
Bradley said, “We had some opportunities there in the second quarter to sustain a drive where we went three-and-out and weren’t able to capitalize, and then the last drive of the first half we got down and had a long scramble… but got called back for holding. We had some opportunities we couldn’t capitalize.”
Epperly, who completed 21 of 32 passes for 198 yards for the night, agreed.
“We had it going pretty good on offense. The opening kickoff helped. We got it going pretty good but shot ourselves in the foot with penalties. … We had third-and-longs, and Alcoa’s too good of a team.”
The Tornadoes came out strong in the second half. They scored a touchdown on both of their first two possessions, and CAK was behind 31-10 with 5:27 left in the third quarter. Neither team managed to score again.
“The second half we weren’t able to sustain things. We weren’t able to sustain drives, and we’d get a first down, make some plays, and then get put in a situation we just couldn’t overcome. That hurt us in the second half,” Bradley said.
On a positive note, “I felt like our defense did a great job of continuing to fight and trying to rise up and keep them out of the end zone. That’s all we can ask of them, and they fought their guts out.”
Senior Matthew Smith, defensive end, said, “Towards the fourth quarter I think [the CAK defense] really stepped up and played the way we should’ve been playing all game, but what can you do? We gave our all the entire game, and [Alcoa] just came up ahead.”
The season may be over for the Warriors, but Bradley said he considers it a success.
“I’m proud of these guys. They gave everything they had for each other and to honor God with their effort. I can’t ask anymore out of them. They’ve worked so hard.
“They took what God gave them ability-wise and maximized it to the fullest, and that’s what playing football is all about,” he added. “I think because they did that it’s been successful, not necessarily because we won a championship, but because we did everything we could with what we had.”
Some of the CAK players said they really enjoyed the camaraderie of this season’s team.
“It was a really good season. I can’t complain. I would’ve liked to have a ‘w’ in this game,” Smith, who led the team with nine tackles, said. “It was a great group of guys. We were pretty close-knit, and it was fun to play with everybody.”
Epperly said, “It was a fun season. It’s disappointing that we have to lose and go home, but I played with some great guys and had a lot of fun doing it.”
|
|
|
