2007 Rockwood

 Photography by Jammie Graves

Text by Dewey Morgan - Loudon News Herald

An injury to starting tailback Tyler Campbell didn’t hinder the Loudon offense as D’Andre Miley racked up 209 yards on the ground, leading the Redskins to a 28-14 victory at Rockwood Friday night.

Campbell was injured on the fifth play of the game after carrying the ball twice for one yard.  Miley got the bulk of the carries from there and averaged more than 10 yards per rush on 20 carries.

“We have all the confidence in the world in D’Andre,” said Loudon Head Coach Jeff Harig.  “We’ve won games with just D’Andre before.”

Miley gained 124 of his yards in a Loudon-dominated third quarter.  The Redskins posted 21 of their points in the quarter to extend a 7-0 halftime advantage to a 28-7 lead after three.

The junior tailback rushed six times in the period, highlighted by gains of 20, 24 and 72 – all but the last went for touchdowns.

The third period opened with Rockwood receiving Loudon’s kick and orchestrating a game-tying touchdown drive.  The five play, 83-yard drive was highlighted by two Zach Breazeale throws.  The first was a 57-yard toss to Simon Moriarty down the right sideline to move the ball from the Tigers’ 18 to the visiting 25.  The second throw was the final play of the drive, a 26-yard TD strike to Matt Hill.  The extra point tied the game at seven two and a half minutes into the second half.

The teams traded failed drives from there before Loudon got a break.  After Keenan Hawkins punted the ball to the Tigers, a muff allowed Loudon to fall on the ball and take it back at the host 35.

After a pass interference call put the ball at the 20, Miley broke his first big run of the half, a 20-yard run straight up the middle.  Carlos Espinoza nailed the PAT and Loudon took a 14-7 advantage.

Rockwood ran one play before another break gave the Redskins another chance to score.  The first play of the drive was a handoff to Moriarty, who rushed straight up the middle, was forced back and fumbled the ball.  Loudon defenders pounced on it and the Redskins took over on the Tiger 24.  On the opening play, Miley found the end zone for the second time, racing around the right end and down the sideline for a 24-yard TD.  Espinoza hit the extra point to give the visitors a 21-7 advantage.

After a Rockwood punt, the Redskins put together their final scoring drive of the night.  Beginning from the visiting 22, Miley took the handoff up the middle, cut to the left sideline and raced 72 yards before getting caught from behind at the Rockwood six.  The junior ran once more on the drive, picking up five yards to the one, before senior quarterback Blake McNew punched in the score on a sneak.  Espinoza finished Loudon’s scoring with a PAT to make the score 28-7 with 2:21 left in the third.

The Redskin defense remained relentless in the fourth quarter, allowing 63 yards of total offense and one score to the Tigers.  The score came late in the quarter after a Hawkins punt was fair caught at the Loudon 46.

The Tigers drove down the short field on four plays and a 22-yard toss from Breazeale to Hill capped the drive with a touchdown.

Harig said he had no answer as to why his team has performed better in the second half of recent games, “I can’t explain it, I don’t know what to say,” the coach answered.

Neither team found a groove offensively in the first half.  The Redskins’ opening drive of the game ended on a missed field goal by Espinoza and Rockwood did little better on its first possession.

Despite driving from their own 20 all the way to the Loudon four, the Tigers were unable to punch the ball in.  On second and goal from the four, Bryant Allen, a 235-pound bruising tailback who pounded out 42 yards on 13 carries, fought to the one-yard line, but coughed up the ball and the Redskins fell on it in the end zone for a touchback.  The Tiger drive spanned 76 yards and lasted 14 plays, eating more than six minutes off the clock.

The Redskins closed out the first quarter gaining one first down on a McNew toss to Ben Everett, but then failing to gain positive yardage on the next three plays.

The second quarter saw a little more offense as, after a failed Rockwood drive, the Redskins put the first points on the board.

The drive began at the Loudon 26 and, after seven plays, moved to the Tiger one.  Two Miley runs of more than 20 yards and an 18-yard scamper up the middle by Tyler Barr highlighted the drive.  From the one, Barr, who picked up 45 yards on seven carries, followed his linemen into the end zone to give Loudon a lead it wouldn’t give away.  Espinoza expanded the lead with his first PAT of the night.

Both teams had one more possession each and neither found the end zone, despite the Redskins getting down to the Rockwood 15.  On fourth and three, Harig elected to try for the score, but a halfback pass from Barr bounced off the chest of Ben Curtis just past the goal line to end the threat and the half.

McNew finished the game completing half of his 12 passes for 112 yards.  He also had a rushing touchdown.  Grant Gasper caught three of McNew’s tosses for 57 yards while Everett caught two more for 49 yards.

Breazeale connected with his receiver 12 of 22 tries for 217 yards and two scores.  His favorite target was Hill, with three catches for 59 yards and both touchdowns.  Ronnie Dyer also caught four balls for 49 yards.

“I felt Rockwood was one of the top four best teams in our region,” said Harig of the importance of the win.  “I think we’re now in the driver’s seat for, at least, a top three spot.”

The remainder of the Redskin schedule is heavily weighted with those Region 2(2A) foes and another comes to Loudon Friday when Oliver Springs invades Dukes Field.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.