MILAN – Christ Presbyterian Academy will be experiencing a little deja vu next Friday, and that’s just fine with the Lions.
CPA (14-0) will battle Alcoa (13-1) for the second straight year in the Class 3A state championship game after dominating Milan 40-6 Friday night in the semifinals.
The win pits the Lions against Alcoa (28-19 winners over Notre Dame in the semis) in Friday’s BlueCross Bowl at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.
“Overall the kids did a great job executing and that’s what it’s all about this time of year,” CPA Coach Ingle Martin said.
CPA beat Milan 42-7 earlier in the season, on Sept. 25. Friday’s game was similar to the first.
The meeting marked the third time in the last four years the two have met in the state semifinals and the first time CPA has come away with the win. Milan topped CPA in the semifinals in 2011 and 2012 before falling to the Lions this year.
CPA came out of the gate strong, marching downfield on its first drive that ended with Wallace Barrett’s seven-yard touchdown run. Jay Hockaday reached the end zone on a five-yard TD run before J.R. Osborn blasted a 46-yard field goal through the uprights to give CPA a 17-0 lead early in the second period.
On Milan’s next possession, early in the second quarter, Barrett picked off Milan’s Landon Walker and returned it 40 yards to the end zone to give CPA a 24-0 lead.
“I think I was just in the right spot for the right time,” Barrett said. “I wouldn’t have been in that situation if it wasn’t for my teammates.”
CPA finished the half with rushing touchdowns from Chip Omer and quarterback Zach Weatherly to take a commanding 40-0 lead.
CPA’s scoring ended at halftime, but the 40 points were more than enough. The Lions came out of the locker room in the second half with a heavy-run strategy to eat up clock. Milan scored once in the second half on a five-yard pass, but that was all the Bulldogs could muster
Alcoa had the upper hand in last year’s 3A title game, beating CPA 25-7.
For the Lions the plan is simple: don’t try to change what’s been working all season.
“The biggest thing for us to continue to go out and do the things we’ve done all year,” Martin said. “We don’t need to change anything.”
Said Weatherly: “Last year I was a sophomore so I was kind of nervous, but this year I will be prepared a lot more than I was last year. Hopefully we will come out with a ‘W’ this time.”
Omer and Barrett combined for 104 yards on the ground.
