Cannon County's Ryan Perkins joins exclusive TSSAA list after rushing for 421 yards in win

Cecil Joyce
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal

Cannon County football coach Matt Daniel admits he kept going to the well on Friday night in the Lions' game at The Webb School.

It was working.

Lions running back Ryan Perkins, a transfer from Oakland, etched his name in the TSSAA record books with a 421-yard rushing performance in a 42-16 Cannon County victory.

The 421 yards will put Perkins 13th on the all-time TSSAA single-game rushing list.

"We found something that worked," said Daniel, of the Wing-T belly play that helped Perkins run free. "We just kept running it over and over again. I'm sure our fans were wondering if there was anything else we could run, but when it's working you keep running it."

Perkins knew he was having a big night but didn't realize it would end up over 400 yards.

"I just know it was my offensive line," said Perkins, who said he moved to Cannon County with his family over the summer to be with his grandmother. "Coach knew what to bring to the game, and I just played behind the line like I was supposed to.

"During halftime I was told I had around 150 yards. Coach told me to set a goal for 200. I pushed myself as much as I could. I ended up with 400. I'm grateful for that."

It was the first win of the season for Cannon County (1-3).

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The Lions rushed for 499 yards in the win. Dylan Gunter had 68 yards and three touchdowns, and Dylan Taylor also had a touchdown.

"Webb had enough speed on the field that we felt we had to burn clock and keep them off the field on offense," Daniel said. "We had some different formations, but it was basically the same play. Hats off to our offensive line (including Josh Mingle and Alex Miller). They kept getting surge after surge."

Cannon County is scheduled to play Lookout Valley on  Friday.

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