Knoxville-area high school football teams delivered a little of everything Thursday and Friday, Oct. 22-23, from a comeback victory and decisive region wins to a pair of heartbreaking one-point losses. With one week remaining in the regular season, the race for playoff positioning is approaching its finish line.
Gibbs started the action Thursday with a comeback win over Heritage. Friday brought big victories for Oak Ridge, Maryville, Powell and Central, while CAK and Knoxville Catholic came up just short.
Thursday night: Gibbs stages a comeback
Gibbs rallies past Heritage
Gibbs trailed Heritage 14-7 in the third quarter Thursday before scoring the game’s final 14 points to escape with a 21-14 victory. The Eagles improved to 8-1, while Heritage fell to 3-6 and was eliminated from playoff contention. Gibbs closes the regular season next week at Carter.
- Gibbs 21, Heritage 14
Friday night: Knoxville-area teams deliver
Oak Ridge takes care of Farragut
Oak Ridge defeated Farragut 35-14 in a matchup of two established East Tennessee football programs. The Wildcats added another important late-season victory, while the Admirals will look to rebound in their regular-season finale.
- Oak Ridge 35, Farragut 14
Powell wins high-scoring matchup with Clinton
Powell defeated Clinton 49-31 in one of the night’s higher-scoring Knoxville-area games. The Panthers put up seven touchdowns’ worth of points as both offenses kept the scoreboard busy.
- Powell 49, Clinton 31
Maryville rolls past Bradley Central
Maryville continued its strong season with a 49-14 victory over Bradley Central. The Rebels scored 49 points against a familiar East Tennessee opponent as the regular season nears its conclusion.
- Maryville 49, Bradley Central 14
Central, Halls and Fulton put up big numbers
Knoxville Central overwhelmed William Blount 49-7, Halls defeated Campbell County 63-7, and Fulton rolled past Union County 58-12. The three Knoxville-area programs combined for 170 points in their Friday victories.
- Central 49, William Blount 7
- Halls 63, Campbell County 7
- Fulton 58, Union County 12
West, Alcoa and Anderson County add victories
West defeated Karns 28-14, Alcoa topped Carter 52-14, and Anderson County beat South-Doyle 35-7. Each winner strengthened its late-season position with another victory.
- West 28, Karns 14
- Alcoa 52, Carter 14
- Anderson County 35, South-Doyle 7
Hardin Valley falls in close contest
Hardin Valley Academy came up just short against Cleveland, losing 14-10. The four-point margin made it one of the closest public-school matchups involving a Knoxville-area team.
- Cleveland 14, Hardin Valley 10
Bearden drops road matchup
Bearden fell 28-7 to Dobyns-Bennett. The Bulldogs will have one final regular-season opportunity to build momentum before the postseason.
- Dobyns-Bennett 28, Bearden 7
Private schools: Close finishes and important wins
CAK loses by one to Boyd-Buchanan
Christian Academy of Knoxville suffered a heartbreaking 36-35 loss to Boyd-Buchanan in one of Friday’s closest games. A single point separated the teams after a combined 71 points.
- Boyd-Buchanan 36, CAK 35
Catholic edged by CPA
Knoxville Catholic also lost by a single point, falling 14-13 to Christ Presbyterian Academy. The low-scoring contest was another reminder of how little separates teams in competitive late-season games.
- CPA 14, Knoxville Catholic 13
Webb, Grace and Concord Christian win
Webb School of Knoxville defeated Chattanooga Christian 21-14, Grace Christian Academy beat Lakeway Christian 31-13, and Concord Christian won 46-20 over Providence Academy.
- Webb 21, Chattanooga Christian 14
- Grace Christian 31, Lakeway Christian 13
- Concord Christian 46, Providence Academy 20
Around East Tennessee
Lenoir City wins a thriller
Lenoir City edged Ooltewah 38-35 in one of the week’s closest regional matchups. Seymour also earned a narrow victory, defeating Elizabethton 21-16, while Kingston topped Rockwood 31-13.
- Lenoir City 38, Ooltewah 35
- Seymour 21, Elizabethton 16
- Kingston 31, Rockwood 13
- Loudon 42, Signal Mountain 12
- Sweetwater 48, McMinn Central 20
- Coalfield 20, Greenback 14
- Oneida 22, Polk County 13
- Pigeon Forge 28, Chuckey-Doak 20
Performance of the Week: Gibbs football
The KnoxTNToday Performance of the Week goes to Gibbs for its Thursday comeback against Heritage. Trailing 14-7 in the third quarter, the Eagles responded with 14 unanswered points to secure a 21-14 victory and improve to 8-1.
With the regular-season finale approaching, the ability to overcome a second-half deficit may prove valuable as Gibbs prepares for postseason competition.
Coaches, athletic directors and parents can help KnoxTNToday recognize local high school athletes. Send scores, statistics, milestones and noteworthy performances to news@knoxtntoday.com for consideration in future roundups.
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