 |
 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Maryville’s James Cone hit a field goal with 21.6 seconds left, ending Oakland’s season in the semifinals of the TSSAA Class 6A playoffs with a 31-28 victory in Maryville on Friday night.
Cone’s 39-yarder got several feet inside the right upright to give the Rebels a lead in what was a back-and-forth game all night. When Maryville’s Will Orren picked off Oakland’s Hail Mary in the end zone on the game’s final play, the Rebels had avenged their only loss of the season.
Quarterback Timmy Goodrich had a pair of rushing touchdowns for Oakland (13-1).
Maryville still hasn’t lost a home playoff game since 1999.
Maryville’s game-winning drive was one that had to leave Oakland wondering what might have been.
On a fourth-and-3 with 1:33 left, Maryville’s Dylan Hopkins hit Isaiah Cobb with a screen pass along the right sideline. Oakland’s Jeron Rooks missed a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, allowing Cobb to get to the first down by half the length of the football at the 28.
A Hopkins keeper on third down got Maryville to the 22, setting up Cone’s kick on fourth down
It wasn’t a play without controversy. The Rebels had a player on the line of scrimmage who was moving at the snap, but officials missed what should have been an obvious penalty as the Oakland sideline fumed.
Oakland’s Woodi Washington returned the kickoff to the Oakland 45 off a lateral. A pass got Oakland across midfield to the 44, setting up a Hail Mary that Orren picked in the end zone.
With the game tied at 21, Maryville drove into Oakland territory early in the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-5, Maryville’s Hopkins was stopped well short of the at 37 by Christian Cantrell and and Blake Spencer.
On a third-down play, Goodrich scampered up the middle for a 58-yard touchdown, with kicker Aaron Moore’s point-after putting the Patriots up 28-21.
But Maryville wanted little time in driving downfield on its next trip. Oakland linebacker Michael Bond was called for a hit out of bounds at the end of a Cobb run, putting the Rebels across midfield.
On the next play, A.J. Davis with a 48-yard throw-back pass to a wide-open Hopkins down the right sideline for a game-tying touchdown after the point after.
The game had no turnovers to that point. A flurry of them followed.
Then, the Patriots’ Justin Jefferson had the ball knocked out of his hands early on Oakland’s next drive.
Maryville recovered at the Oakland 26 with 7:17 to play. But Bond made a terrific leaping play to tip a Hopkins pass in the air and nearly corral it as he went to the ground.
Instead, the ball bounced off his thigh into Jefferson’s hands for an interception.
However, Oakland turned it right back over when Brevin Linnel threw an interception to Orren near midfield with 4:39 left.
Trailing 7-0 early, Oakland’s Rooks scored on a 10-yard run, with Moore tying the score at seven with three minutes left in the first quarter.
After Oakland fullback Mookie Wilson scored on a 57-yard run, Hopkins hit Davis with a 6-yard scoring toss with 5:18 left in the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
But Oakland re-took the lead when a Goordrich’s 10-yard touchdown tied the game at 21 after Moore’s point-after.
Hello. This was a great story. There may be an error in reporting as Aaron Moore, Oakland High is now being recruited for college. He is a junior and has never been a kicker for Oakland High. He is a linebacker. Thank you for your consideration.
Comments are closed.