Both Signal Mountain and Soddy Daisy had been eliminated from the prep football playoffs before they played their final regular-season game at Soddy Daisy’s Robert Talaska Field Friday night, so it was just a matter of which team had the bigger heart and which team wanted to win the worst.
That honor goes to the host Trojans as they scored 15 unanswered points in the second half to win in a squeaker as Gage Welch scored the tying touchdown with 1:37 to play before sophomore kicker Calum Williams booted the all-important extra point for the 18-17 comeback victory.
It’s been a somewhat-disappointing season for the Trojans as they started the season at 2-2 before losing five straight before Friday night’s contest. Both teams finish 3-7 overall with Soddy Daisy 2-4 in region play and Signal Mountain 1-5.
“We just kept hammering away, but we just wanted to finish the season the right way and nothing is any better than a comeback win against a good rival,” said Soddy Daisy coach Carter Cardwell as he relaxed in his office following the game while Soddy Daisy players, assistant coaches and fans celebrated just outside the dressing room.
“Our guys took it to heart about finishing the right way as it’s been a tough year for us. But for us to win the game in such a dramatic fashion is something they will never forget. It’s always nice to win that last one as that changes everyone’s outlook as we go into off-season workouts.
“We were calm and confident on that last drive as our running game had picked up in the second half, but I was so glad to see Corbin York have such a great final game. He’s one of our seniors and has been hurt most of the season, but he did a great job and scored his first and only touchdown for us in the second half. But what a great way to finish an otherwise disappointing season,” Cardwell nodded.
Signal Mountain coach Josh Roberts really didn’t know what to say after his team’s final game.
“We gave it all we had and I’m sorry it has to end this way,” he began after a few choice words for his team, telling them how proud he was to be their coach.
“We missed some golden opportunities as we have to score touchdowns when we get into the red zone. I thought our effort was good, but I just wish it could have been a different result,” he added.
York was the man with the plan for the Trojans as he finished with 133 yards rushing on 13 attempts after only having 16 yards on two trips in the first half. He was definitely a difference-maker as the Trojans piled up 174 rushing yards in the final two quarters after only getting 40 in the two.
After a scoreless first stanza, quarterback Garrett Wilson put the Eagles on the board when he scored on a keeper from the 2 with 9:44 left in the first half. Williams got the Trojans on the board with a 34-yard field goal at the 6:09 mark while Soddy Daisy’s Colton Selzer made it 10-3 at the break after booting a 24-yard field goal on the final play.
Wilson completed a 14-yard pass to Blake Wolfard with 7:43 left in the third quarter to put the Eagles up 17-3, but that’s when the Trojans started playing with a more serious attitude.
York’s only touchdown came on a run from the 2 with 5:47 left in the third and Welch made the conversion run after the Eagles had been flagged for being offside.
Signal Mountain then drove the following kickoff down to the Soddy Daisy 8, but the ball went over on downs when Wilson was stopped for no gain on fourth and two by Matthew Nunley.
The Trojans were stopped on fourth down in their next drive, but got the ball back with 7:40 to play as they moved 86 yards in 13 plays with Welch scoring from the 11 with 1:37 to play. Williams then booted what turned out to be the winning extra point.
Wolfard’s kickoff return put the Eagles in business at their own 37 with 90 seconds to play. They gained seven yards on a pass from Wilson to Wolfard, but that was all as Wilson then threw three straight incomplete passes to give the ball back to Soddy Daisy with 57 seconds left.
Sophomore Luke Dodd then took a knee on two straight plays before the clock expired.
Soddy Daisy finished with 366 total yards to 322 for the Eagles.
York was the leading rusher with his 133 yards while Drew Lewis was the leading receiver with two catches for 38 yards Keagen Hickman had five catches for 29 yards while Blake Castelin, Tyler Eddy, Tucker Ross and Lewis all had two catches each.
Wilson was the leading rusher for the Eagles with 67 yards on 18 carries while Jack Perry added 37 on six attempts. Wolfard was the leading receiver with 85 yards on nine catches while Bo Cooper gained 83 yards on five grabs.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN 0 10 7 0 -- 17
SODDY DAISY 0 3 8 7 -- 18
SM – Garrett Wilson 2 run (Colton Selzer kick), 9:44 left in second;
SD – Calum Williams 34 field goal, 6:09 left in second;
SM – Selzer 24 field goal, 0:00 left in second;
SM – Blake Wolfard 14 pass from Wilson (Selzer kick), 7:43 left in third;
SD – Corbin York 2 run (Gage Welch run), 5:47 left in third;
SD – Welch 11 run (Williams kick), 1:37 left in fourth.
TEAM STATS SIGNAL MOUNTAIN SODDY DAISY
FIRST DOWNS 14 19
RUSHES-YARDS 27-108 35-214
PASSING YARDS 214 152
TOTAL YARDS 322 366
PASSES (Com-Att-Int) 17-23-0 15-22-1
PENALTIES-YARDS 7-55 16-148
FUMBLES-LOST 0-0 1-0
PUNTS-AVERAGE 1-34.0 1-27.0
INDIVIDUAL STATS:
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN RUSHING: Garrett Wilson 18 for 67 with one TD; Jack Perry 6 for 37.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN RECEIVING: Blake Wolfard 9 for 85 yards and one TD; Bo Cooper 5 for 83.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN PASSING: Garrett Wilson 17 of 23 for 214 yards with one TD and no interceptions.
SODDY DAISY RUSHING: Corbin York 13 for 133 yards and one TD; Gage Welch 10 for 50 and one TD; Tucker Ross 5 for 14; Luke Dodd 4 for 14.
SODDY DAISY RECEIVING: Drew Lewis 2 for 38 yards; Keagen Hickman 5 for 29; Tyler Eddy 2 for 21; Tucker Ross 2 for 19; Gage Welch 1 for 22.
SODDY DAISY PASSING: Luke Dodd 15 for 22 for 152 yards and one interception.
RECORDS: Soddy Daisy 3-7 overall, 2-4 in region; Signal Mountain 3-7 overall, 1-5 in region.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)