Volunteer Snuffs Happy Valley to Snap Losing Skid
by JIMMY MOORE
TriCitiesSports.com
August 17, 2018
ELIZABETHTON – Finally, the losing streak is over. Volunteer’s new head coach Justin Pressley saw his team end an 11-game losing streak with a 33-7 non-conference victory over Happy Valley on Warrior Hill Friday night.
The Falcons’ new head coach said the staff had worked the team hard throughout the summer to become more physical and it showed in the trenches Friday night.
“We’ll take a win anyway we can get it,” said Pressley. “We fought really hard and I cannot say enough about our kids. They deserved this. Every single play they flew to the ball. We missed a lot of blocks but they kept fighting and stayed in there.
“They are a tough team but our kids kept responding and that is what this program has to be about, adversity and responding to it and I think our kids showed great resolve tonight.”
Both teams stumbled out of the gate with their respective defenses before Volunteer’s Eli Dorton hooked up with Peyton Derrick on a 10-yard touchdown pass and Derrick added another six points on a four-yard run to stake the visitors to a 13-0 advantage at the half.
The Falcons added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter when Bryson Miller scored on an 80-yard fumble and Isaiah Bragg, who had to set out last year after transferring from Cherokee, took a pitch around right end on a 42-yard touchdown.
Happy Valley assistant coach Greg Hyder, who was subbing for head coach Jason Jarrett who had to sit out the game from their last game in the 2017 season, said the 80-yard fumble recovery was the lethal blow for the Warriors.
“We had a call here or there that hurt us,” said Hyder. “A kid stepped out of bounds right there in front of us and they let it go. You get a bad break here and there and it just snowballed on us.
“It was 13-0 and it’s a first down (for us) and the kid rolls over and I thought he was down and we thought we heard an inadvertent whistle and now it takes you to 20-0 and that kind of let the air out of us.
“We gave up some plays on defense there late in the game but it just kind of got away from us early,” said Hyder. “We’re young and we don’t want to use that as an excuse but when you get some bad breaks we kind of fell apart there in the middle of the game.
“Volunteer has a new coach and they are a better team and have some good athletes and they made us look bad on offense. Their defense was really aggressive.”
Cameron Johnson tacked on another touchdown on an 80-yard run before the Warriors’ Hunter Johnson hauled in 64-yard pass from Will Tittle for the Warriors only score.
“Peyton Baker had a great game for us (three catches for 77 yards),” said Pressley. “He came up with some big plays and that is what we have to have. They were putting a lot of people in the box and we really did not want to throw the ball too early. We called his number and he made some big plays for us.”
The Falcons’ Clay Snapp said it is a team game and it just took a good effort from both sides of the ball and playing physical.
“Our defense showed up tonight and so did our offense,” said the junior who plays in the line on both sides of the ball. “Cam (Cameron Johnson) had an 80-yard run and Eli (Dorton) threw a touchdown pass. Peyton Derrick scored twice.
“Coach (Pressley) has really brought a new mindset to us. Volunteer football is back. I’ve been starting on offense but I’ve played nose man on defense and played on both sides of the ball tonight.”
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
Volunteer | 0 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 33 |
Happy Valley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Volunteer - Peyton Derrick 10 pass from Eli Dorton (Dawson Dykes kick)
Volunteer – Derrick 3 run (kick failed)
Volunteer – Bryson Miller 85 fumble recovery (Derrick pass from Dorton)
Volunteer – Isaiah Bragg 42 run (kick failed)
Volunteer – Cameron Johnson 80 run (kick failed)
Happy Valley – Hunter Conley 64 pass from Will Tittle (Michael Harrah kick)
Volunteer | Happy Valley | |
First Downs | 10 | 9 |
Rushing Att-Yards | 35-155 | 36-35 |
Passes Comp-Att-Int | 4-9-0 | 5-10-0 |
Passing Yards | 87 | 115 |
Total Offense | 242 | 150 |
Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 8-3 |
Penalties/Yards | 9-95 | 8-69 |
Punts-Average | 6-26.5 | 4-25.2 |