West Rolls Over Cocke County

October 31, 2008 · Filed Under Misc. Sports Reports 

By SETH BUTLER
Newport Plain Talk Sports Writer

NEWPORT-Cocke County said goodbye to 17 seniors who donned the red and black the past four years on Thursday night.
The Morristown West Trojans played spoiler for those 17 seniors finale at Hedrick Field.
The Trojans (6-4, 5-2) put the cap on the first winless season in 34 years as they beat Cocke County (0-10, 0-7) 42-18 in front of a sparse crowd.
Morristown West scored a variety of ways, in opening up a 42-0 lead in the first 21 minutes of the game, en route to their big victory headed into the first round of the playoffs next week. The variety of touchdowns, from special teams to defensive scores, resulted in the Trojans gaining only eight more yards of total offense during the game.
Cocke County rebounded with three second half touchdowns, as the Trojans cleared their bench, to close out the season and careers of the 2008 senior class.
First-year Cocke County coach Casey Kelley said that he was appreciative of the perseverance of the senior class, which has suffered through a dismal four-year run of football.
“They came out and played their best tonight,” Kelley said. “Our best right now isn’t good enough to beat Morristown West, but it’s going to be one day.
“The score doesn’t indicate the heart of this football team,” Kelley said. “Through thick and thin, through the injuries and the implementations of new systems, these guys have hung in there and stuck it out.”
The seniors won three games and dealt with three coaching changes in their four short years, but most of the group of 17 has remained with the program through Thursday night’s season finale.
That finale turned into a blowout early on as the Trojans scored 21 points in each of the first two periods. Their first score of the night came just 16 seconds in, as Chad Brooks returned the opening kickoff 66 yards. The initial kickoff, which went out of bounds, was waved off due to no one being in the press box available to help operate the scoreboard and set the clock.
After a three-and-out for the Big Red, West’s Sean Jones hit receiver Tyrell McKinney on a 20-yard go-route with 7:47 to play in the period to cap off a five-play, 60-yard drive.
Another three-and-out led to more points at the 4:15 mark. Jones ran the option to perfection, scoring from 18 yards out after getting excellent field position on the drive.
The Trojans scored three more times in the game’s second period.
J.J. Goforth scored from eight yards out, taking advantage of a Big Red fumble with 11:54 remaining in the first half. Cocke County’s Devon Yankee had his punt blocked and an ensuing return resulting in a West touchdown with 8:52 remaining in the half and Stephen Hotz capped off a nine-play, 94-yard drive with a six-yard run with 3:18 to play in the half.
The longest West touchdown drive of the game came after Cocke County fumbled the football inside the 10-yard line.
Josh Henry scored two touchdowns in a big half for the Cocke County senior running back. Henry finished the night with 54 yards on 13 carries.
The first Henry touchdown run was set up by a long kick return by Chris James. James was the recipient of the return after a handoff from William Carmichael and penetrated deep into West territory.
Carmichael also had a hand in the drive to give Henry his second score of the night, running for 50 yards on four carries on the drive.
Henry’s honors came behind the push of Barry Huffhines and Hunter Dockery, who lined up in the backfield in the team-termed ‘meatloaf package’. The team utilized this formation twice during the game, both resulting in a touchdown. The formation was used on the ensuing two-point conversion, but Huffhines came up a yard-shy of scoring.
Huffhines however went the extra mile on the final play of the season.
The Trojans were attempting to run out the final 35 seconds and didn’t take a knee, only to see quarterback Patrick Ashford fumble the football, which was kicked near midfield by James. Huffhines picked up the loose ball and ran the final distance into the end zone as time expired.
Five Rivers Action: In the only other Five Rivers Conference game of the night, Morristown East defeated Daniel Boone 28-7.
That result clinches Cherokee the fourth playoff position in the conference, even prior to the Chiefs clash with intra-county rival Volunteer tonight.
The other game on tap for tonight features regular season conference champion Greeneville travels to David Crockett. In what was previously a meaningless game, the Greene Devils will now have to break in a starting quarterback for the playoffs after Jordan Greenway was dismissed from the team after being charged with DUI on Sunday night.

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