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Blackman football star Master Teague can help end scoring drought vs. Oakland — if he plays

Cecil Joyce
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
Blackman quarterback Connor Mitchell has passed for 670 yards and rushed for almost 300 yards thus far this season.

Two games. Eight quarters. Zero offensive points.

Those numbers don't scream anything unusual in high school football.

That is, unless you're talking about an offense as proficient as Blackman has been over recent years.

The Blaze offense, however, hasn't scored in the past two games against rival Oakland (21-7 and 38-0 losses) in games that ultimately decided region titles in 2015 and 2016.

Blackman's Master Teague gets the ball from Connor Mitchell on Aug. 18, 2017,  against Hendersonville.

"(Oakland's defense) is very multiple, they're very athletic and well-coached," said Blackman coach David Watson, whose squad plays at home against Oakland at 7 p.m. Friday. It's a matchup of the top two teams in Class 6A, according to the Associated Press rankings.

"They are physical and have good speed every year. The names change, but the way they play is the same."

This season's Blackman offense has been anything but stoppable in five games, averaging 45 points. The Blaze, who returned the top offensive options from last year's team, have scored at least 35 in each game.

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Senior running back and Ohio State commitment Master Teague didn't play last week (ankle) and played less than a quarter two weeks ago, and the Blaze have still put up 77 points in those two games.

Teague's status Friday night will have a huge impact on the game. He has 559 yards rushing in just more than three games. He missed last year's 38-0 loss to Oakland with a concussion.

On Thursday afternoon Watson said Teague would practice and see how he feels.

"Just his presence out there — he's our leader," Blackman senior quarterback Connor Mitchell said about Teague. "He was dying to be out there last week. He said he wasn't going to miss this week."

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Mitchell's play has been a huge reason Blackman has had its way with opposing defenses. He's 46-of-62 for 670 yards, nine touchdowns and just three interceptions. He's rushed for 295 yards and six more scores and has a return TD.

"Our quarterback has been a lot better," Watson said. "That's the difference. We've blocked better this year. We'll see if we can continue that."

The Blaze will seek to continue that against an Oakland team that has allowed just 40 points in four games.

Oakland held Maryville and Riverdale to 14 points and limited an explosive Independence offense to just six.

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"They still have a great defensive line that gets after it," Mitchell said. "It will be a big key for our offensive line to slow them down. The biggest difference is their secondary, with JaCoby (Stevens, now at LSU) gone."

Most expect a close game. Watson knows his offense has to stay the course through the full 48 minutes.

"We have to weather bad plays ... they're going to make plays and score and stop us," Watson said. "We have to battle and fight and not let any bad plays get to us. Last year we had a blocked punt and a sack early and got ourselves in a hole. We have to weather the storm."

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The teams could also meet again, likely be in the 6A state quarterfinals.

"I know we will see them again," Mitchell said. "We're not expecting this to be the last time."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

Blackman's big three

Connor Mitchell: 46-of-62, 670 yards, 9 TDs. 295 yards rushing, 6 TDs.

Master Teague: 53 carries, 559 yards, 9 TDs (4 games)

Trey Knox: 22 receptions, 353 yards, 4 TDs.