Title Defense

Rebels have championship caliber stop unit as well
Trenton Shuler cuts behind a block from Maryville teammate Chris Raymond on Friday. Photos by Jolanda Jansma

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Top-ranked Maryville plays pretty good defense, too.

Lenoir City moved the ball for 14 yards and one first down on the game’s opening possession Friday night at Shields Stadium.

That was pretty much it.

The Panthers went three and out on their next five possessions, with 12 yards of total offense for the effort.

Defending Class 6A champion Maryville cut loose behind the showing to rout Lenoir City, 42-7, in the regular season finale for both teams.

“I don’t think there’s any question this one is on the defense,” Maryville coach George Quarles said. “That was about as fast a team as we’ve played, and that’s a good sign going into the playoffs.”

The Rebels (10, 7-0) completed the ninth unbeaten regular season in Quarles’ 13 years at the helm in claiming the District 4AAA championship. Six of the previous eight concluded with state championship seasons.

The Rebels host Hardin Valley in an opening round playoff game on Friday.

Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Maryville got rushing scores from running back Shawn Prevo and quarterback Nick Myers to go with receiving touchdowns from Cody Carroll and T.J. Kimble in rolling to a 28-0 halftime lead.

Carroll added a finisher on the opening drive of the second half and a 35-0 lead.

Backup quarterback Tyler Vaught zipped 15 yards through the middle of the Panther defense for the final Rebel score after Chancellor Coates forced and recovered a Lenoir City fumble on a Maryville kickoff.

Lenoir City dodged the shutout against Rebel reserves with 10 minutes remaining.

Maryville defensive coordinator Jim Gaylor credited the play of the front seven, particularly down linemen Taylor Spivey and Marshall Knoll and linebackers Haden Townsend and Will Murrin in stuffing the Lenoir City run game.

Panther dual-threat quarterback Jordan Hall can be a handful to contain.

“I hope the film doesn’t say differently, but I think our front four did a remarkable job of getting off their blocks,” Gaylor said. “I thought we limited his big runs really well.”

Prevo opened the scoring with an electrifying, 50-yard, width-of-the-field piece of magic on a short toss from Myers.

“That was nice,” Maryville fan Erik Jan Hill said.

It was also blocked well, Prevo said.

“I kind of leaned toward the sideline, and (the Panther end) went for it,” he said. “It was over from there.”

The Rebels went 69 yards in seven plays to open the lead to 14-0 on a Myers 2-yard run. With the contest in a seeming lull with four minutes to play in the half, Quarles had tight end Logan Winders deliver a necessary jolt.

“Right play, right time,” Quarles said.

The quarterback turned tight end Winders was on the money with the trick-play pass. Carroll was all alone behind the Panther secondary for a 55-yard scoring catch to increase the lead to 21-0 with four minutes until halftime.

Winders and he made eye contact in the huddle after Myers called the play, Carroll said.

“As soon as he said it, we looked right at each other,” he said.

The protection couldn’t have been better.

“He (Winders) had a year back there to throw the ball,” Carroll said.

With seconds to play in the half, Myers caught the Panther secondary napping once more, hitting an in-stride Kimble down the right side for a 51-yard scoring strike to open a four-touchdown margin.

Myers finished a cool 15-of-19 passing for 210 yards and three scores all told.

Carroll’s 12-yard touchdown catch put the mercy rule into effect with seven minutes to play in the third. When the Panther return man fumbled with the following kickoff, Coates was there with the hit to dislodge the ball and make the recovery.

Vaught shot through the Lenior City defense for 15 yards on the ensuing play for a 42-0 lead.