Alcoa's Walker Russell leads team to state title day after grandmother dies

Alcoa's Walker Russell (1) pushes forward on a keeper in the second quarter of the Class 3A state championship game at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tenn., Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017.

COOKEVILLE – Alcoa had more than three sections of fans at Tennessee Tech, but someone was missing. The 3A BlueCross Bowl was Walker Russell’s first game without his grandmother in the stands, and the Alcoa quarterback felt her absence.

Donna Overstreet passed away Wednesday night, but Russell never considered sitting out. She would have wanted him to play. He tried to draw on her strength.

“She was at every single one of my games,” he said after Alcoa claimed its third straight state title with a 31-20 win over Covington. “That’s what upset me the most, that she wouldn’t be at this game. She never missed any games. Seeing her at all the games, it just always made me happy. That was always the toughest thing about it.”

Russell was clear-eyed talking about her but coach Gary Rankin said he broke down right after the game ended. They were close and a win in her name meant a lot.

Rankin reached out to Russell on Wednesday night when he heard the news and talked to his quarterback about it Thursday morning.

“I told him we’d get him through the day, his mama too,” the coach said. “You run into these situations with kids and those are things you have to work through, but he came through like a champ.”

He felt it said something about Russell to come out and remain composed with those emotions.

Russell threw for 123 yards and rushed for 60 yards and touchdown, earning offensive MVP honors. The touchdown came on a one-yard sneak after a 45-yard pass to Conner Canfield got the Tornadoes to the 7.

The win was Rankin’s 13th state championship and ninth with Alcoa. It also gave the Tornadoes 16 state championships, the most in state history and one more than Maryville — that last part is even more important, according to center Lucas Mckeehan.