McKenzie football wins first TSSAA state championship year after runner-up

CHATTANOOGA – A year after bringing home silver, McKenzie football has won gold.

McKenzie defeated Clay County 34-14 Friday in the TSSAA Class 1A BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium. It comes in the program's second straight state championship game appearance when the Rebels (15-0) finished runner-up to South Pittsburg and received the silver ball.

This year, though, McKenzie's football team lifted the gold ball.

McKenzie never trailed in the game, Marquez Taylor scored on a 55-yard touchdown run 16 seconds into the game. Jackson Cassidy later hit Zavier Webber for a 69-yard TD run to give the Rebels a 14-0 lead with 6:07 left in the first quarter.

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Taylor finished the game running for 163 yards. He also caught a 47-yard TD catch. Cassidy, a Class 1A Mr. Football finalist, was 7-of-14 passing for 168 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Cassidy also made 10 total tackles, including six solo tackles, on defense. And Webber had three catches for 101 yards and two TDs.

McKenzie finished the game with 376 total yards to Clay County's 231.

Clay County (13-2) was playing in its first state championship game in school history. Joseph Marcom had 22 carries for 117 yards and a TD. Keaton Arms was 4-of-11 for 26 yards passing.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.