Rockwood slips past favored Meigs County, 9-8

Football tile
Football tile

DECATUR, Tenn. - Meigs County's defense did not allow a pass completion Friday night until Rockwood quarterback Nate Brackett connected with Trey Treadway for a 13-yard gain with a little more than seven and a half minutes to play in their TSSAA Class 2A state quarterfinal at Meigs.

But that, coupled with 15 running plays, was what Rockwood used to cover 99 yards to take the lead for the first time with 1:54 to play. The visitors held on and defeated Meigs 9-8 in a battle of Tigers that was a rematch from Sept. 15.

Rockwood (10-3) will host Tyner in next week's semifinal round with the winner advancing to the BlueCross Bowl in Cookeville.

Meigs was leading by five and had a first-and-goal at the 10 before the final play of the third quarter. But the possession went backward until on fourth down from the 17, quarterback Aaron Swafford completed a pass to a sliding Caleb Hyde, who was ruled down short of the goal line, slightly inside the 1.

Rockwood took over at the 10:19 mark. Ryan McCain had nine carries for 59 yards on the winning drive, including the score from a yard out.

"They're a big, physical football team," Meigs coach Jason Fitzgerald said. "We got them stopped most of the time, until that last time. You've got to give credit to them.

"It just wasn't our night. That happens in high school football. You've got to be ready to play. They were the better football team for 48 minutes."

McCain finished with 153 yards on 23 carries, and Zander Price added 88 on 16 rushes.

"That's what we've been doing for a long time," Rockwood coach John Webb said of running the ball. "We like to throw the ball a little bit, but they did a great job on pass coverage tonight."

Meigs' offense was slowed because Swafford, a Mr. Football candidate as a sophomore, injured his left foot on his seventh rush of the night, which came 10:11 before halftime. He was out about seven minutes of game time but returned during the Tigers' scoring drive.

But after the injury he had only one carry and threw only one pass until they fell behind late. Then his eighth and final pass was intercepted by Price at Rockwood's 35, and Rockwood ran out the final 1:20.

"We had to go with Aaron and get what we could from him," Fitzgerald said, noting the injury took away the read option and the rollout passing game.

Meigs won by three touchdowns when the teams combined for 75 points at Rockwood two months earlier. Webb was asked why this game was so much more low-scoring.

"The one big thing is their quarterback had that foot problem," Webb said of Swafford, who accounted for seven touchdowns in the earlier meeting. "He's a difference-maker. He was kind of held in check because of the injury."

The game was mainly a punting contest in the beginning. Rockwood finally got something going in the second quarter, but the second of Eli Loden's two interceptions halted its drive, one play after Dalton Baker made a key sack for a 7-yard loss on third down.

Meigs then drove 74 yards in six plays with Martin Smith running in from the 10. The Tigers chose to go for two and Smith converted that, too.

Rockwood managed to get as close as Meigs' 18 in the remaining time and Treadway made a 34-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

"I'm proud of the kids," Fitzgerald said. "Being 12-1 and being one of the final eight is a great season. They'll realize that, once they look back at it."

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.

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