Week 1: Webb @ ALCOA

[BigDave1967]

Wow Webb ran into a steamroller tonight

[ZoneRead]

Good win. Go Tornadoes!

[Govolsknox]

I tried to keep track of the score on my phone but I'm not sure if it was right or not. It looked like Webb kept it to 14-0 or so at the half and 7-0 part way into the 2nd quarter. Can someone give us kind of a run down on how the game went for those of us who couldn't be there?

[Tom142]

About what I expected for the first game (think I predicted something like 28-7). Defensively, after the first drive we basically settled in. I'm not too sure that Webb got past midfield after that initial drive. The D-line played outstanding, as expected, and they'll have to week in and week out if we're going to make a deep run in the playoffs. Decker, the McClurgs, and Clark basically set up shop in the Spartan backfield all night. Nix's defense put up a goose egg against a 3 time defending state champ first game out. Definitely a great performance.

 

Offensively, we looked okay. I'll start with the bad: Had a couple of turnovers, one of which was fumbled through the endzone for a touchback or else the score would've been 42-0. McClurg gave great effort on the run though so can't fault the kid at all. Also, had a few careless penalties, but that's expected in the first game. The good: Alcoa still ran for, I believe, around 270 yds. Sounds like we've lost our second of our top two RB's since this summer so it's definitely going to be RB by committee. McClurg got some tough yards on a few carries, Salter looked like a bowling ball barreling over the Webb D, McNear had some nice carries, Clabough had a beautiful run to open the game and Jaylen is going to be a threat not only with his lazer arm but with his legs as well. Speaking of his arm, I haven't seen an arm like that at Alcoa since Randall Cobb and Joei Fiegler as far as velocity. He threw an absolute frozen rope to Caleb Woody in stride on a slant tonight that blew my mind. Kids definitely got talent.

 

Overall, not much for this Alcoa fan to complain about tonight. Went about like I thought it would, maybe even a little better. Webb clearly has a young team, and it looked like they had maybe 30-35 players, and about a third of the team struggled with cramps in the 2nd half it seemed like. However; Webb lives and dies, as we all know, with the Wing-T, and they run it well. They just met a juggernaut in Alcoa's D-line tonight, and that's just not the best combo. Lucky for them, they won't see a D-line like that again this year, so that should help the youth and inexperience grow more and more comfortable running the offense as the year progresses. I still think the Spartans have a shot to get to Cookeville once again. They may have 4 or 5 losses, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see them there. Best of luck to the Green and White!