Pigskin Preview – October 26
Coalfield at Oneida
By Greg Addington
Coalfield faces Oneida in the annual rivalry clash this Friday night up in Oneida. Both teams have wrapped up the second seed in their respective regions along with a first round home game, so the battle at Dr. ME Thompson Field/Jim May Stadium is for bragging rights. Both teams have had to deal with injuries to significant starters through the year (Coalfield losing Johnny Carroll, Lance Byrd and Ashton Jones and Oneida losing standout running back and linebacker Bryson Buttram).
Last week, Coalfield rallied in what was a wild fourth quarter on Rochelle Field to defeat Oliver Springs 22-16. Peyton McKinney threw for 163 yards on 8-16 passing, throwing the first touchdown pass of the night to Jeffrey Speer and running for the final two scores to clinch victory. McKinney added 64 yards rushing on 14 attempts while leading receiver was the returning Ashton Jones with two receptions for 55 yards, including a crucial 48-yard catch on a 3rdand 29 yards to go play in the fourth quarter to preserve the first of two Jacket scoring drives. Defensively Anthony Foster and Daniel Schaar led the way with 16 total tackles, however they were aided by three additional Jackets that had double-digit tackles in Seth Lowe (14), Austyn Hensley (13) and Jonathon Woodward (10).
Oneida defeated Bledsoe County a week ago up in Oneida by a final score of 10-0. Oneida’s scores were courtesy a Johnny Manis 1-yard second quarter touchdown run and a Rhemci Chitwood 32-yard field goal as the first half expired. It was a defensive battle on the night, Bledsoe was held to 107 yards total offense and Oneida was only marginally better at 177 yards on the night. The difference was the active and opportunistic Indian defense which forced four turnovers and held the Warriors to four first downs, keeping Bledsoe’s offense on their own end of the field until the very end of the game. Oneida is led on offense by junior quarterback Elijah West and senior running back Johnny Manis. Head Coach Tony Lambert lines his defense up mostly in a 4-3 with Manis and juniors Hunter Barnhart and Trace Sexton leading the charge.
Kickoff this Friday night is at 7:30 at Oneida as the Jackets look to their final 2018 regular season game before hosting Jellico next Friday night in the first round of the TSSAA Class A playoffs.
Sunbright vs Unaka
By Terry Futrell
It has been a tough year for the Sunbright Tigers (1-7), who defeated only Oakdale. Their game at home with the Unaka Rangers (2-7) on Friday evening provides the Tigers an opportunity to end their season on a positive note. Unaka is positioned at the bottom of the rankings in Class A Region 1.
In their most recent outing, Unaka was defeated by 2A Hampton (4-5) 61-14. Unaka’s only victories were over winless North Greene and Hancock County (3-7). The Tigers lost to Lookout Valley this past Friday 49-8. Unaka is similar to Sunbright in many ways, showing promise at times, but unable to consistently deliver at their maximum potential.
In Sunbright’s recent game with powerhouse Midway, the strength of Sunbright’s offensive line was apparent as individual players held their own against Midway’s defensive linemen. Yet, Midway was able to repeatedly break through and put pressure on the Sunbright quarterback, successfully throttling the Tigers’ offense. Success for the Tigers against Unaka depends on the Tigers’ offensive line working as a unit to provide ample time for the offensive plays to be executed.
Game time is at 7:30 PM at Sunbright.
Wartburg vs Meigs County
By Terry Futrell
The Wartburg Central Bulldogs face their toughest challenge of the year as the top-ranked Meigs County Tigers come to town. The Tigers are 9-0 on the season and received all 15 first place votes in the latest Associated Press statewide high school football rankings. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 371-39 this season.
Meigs County comes off a tough victory over the Polk County Wildcats (5-4). The Wildcats battled Meigs County to a 3-3 tie at the half – the first time this season that Meigs has not scored a touchdown in the first half. The Tigers came back after the half and outscored Polk County 21-0, but the victory was the only one with less than a 34-point margin all season. Meigs had a balanced offensive attack, rushing 223 yards on 32 attempts and completing 8 of 18 passes for 151 yards.
The Bulldogs decimated Sale Creek this past week 55-19, rushing 16 times for 96 yards and completing 13 of 17 passes for 344 yards. The Bulldogs were explosive on offense but showed some critical lapses on defense against the run. The Bulldog offense can likely score against Meigs County, if given enough opportunities to be on the field. But, unless the Bulldog defense steps up to stop the Tigers’ running attack, this could be a repeat of the Rockwood game two weeks ago when the Bulldog offense was kept off the field for much of the game. A victory for the Bulldogs would clinch a berth in the playoffs. Otherwise the Bulldogs will make the playoffs only if Rockwood defeats Cumberland Gap on Friday.
Kickoff is at 7:30 PM at Wartburg.