Stat Sheet Stuffer

Alcoa’s Warwick just misses equalling jersey No. with epic performance

Tornado junior Jack Warwick circles back to the bench after covering an Alcoa kickoff earlier this season. Photos by Cindy Nowlin

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

The numbers never lie.

Sometimes they even scream.

No. 1- ranked Alcoa punched its ticket to Friday’s BlueCross Bowl in Cookeville with a 24-0 shut out of second-ranked Sequatchie County last Friday on the road. Tornado All state linebacker Jack Warwick, the Barley’s/Blount Press Row Player of the Week, was a big, big part of the reason why.

His stats from the game are eye-popping.

Alcoa (13-1) next meets Liberty Magnet (12-2) in the Class 3A title game on Friday at Tennessee Tech.

Kickoff is 3 p.m. CST.

The game will be broadcast locally on MyVLT.

Internet coverage is available through the NFHS Network.

It wasn’t so much Alcoa prevailing in the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown that spoke volumes. Sequatchie County featured Mr. Football finalist running back Hunter Davenport and were playing in front of a packed house.

With the Tornadoes sporting the eventual Mr. Football winner, junior receiver Tykee Kellogg, finding points was never likely to be a problem for Alcoa. Warwick went a long way in ensuring Sequatchie County didn’t get any.

His 22 tackles, which included a sack, ranks as the top defensive performance of the season. A pass breakup and quarterback hurry speaks to an all-over-the-field performance.

Lots of guys stepped up for the Tornadoes in collecting the season’s third shutout. Defensive back Cameron Woody delivered two tackles for loss in setting the edge against the run. Defensive lineman Tristan Woody, no relation, had 2 1/2 sacks. Linebackers Terran Cox and Davis Maples finished with 9.5 and 8.5 tackles, respectively.

Warwick had the kind of defensive performance you’ll see only a handful of times, at any level of football.