On a cold Senior Night in Clinton, Tennessee, the Anderson County Mavericks delivered an explosive statement, rolling to a 35-7 victory over the South-Doyle Cherokees on Friday, October 23. In what was billed as a pivotal TSSAA Region 2-4A matchup on the OEB Law Friday Night Showdown, the Mavericks leaned into physical, hard-nosed football to improve to 6-3 overall.
A 35-Point Second-Quarter Explosion
Following a scoreless first quarter defined by stingy defensive stands and ball-control drives, both offenses broke through in the second quarter.
Anderson County broke the ice when senior Brayden Sharpe—a standout wide receiver stepping in under center following the Week 7 injury to starting quarterback JD Gillum—kept the ball himself for an 8-yard touchdown run. Shortly after, the Mavericks capitalized on a partially deflected punt by freshman Hunter Wade to set up short field position, capped by a 2-yard touchdown plunge from Case Curringer to push the lead to 14-0.
South-Doyle responded immediately. Behind a dynamic kick return, the Cherokees marched downfield as running back Walter Gould punched in a 15-yard touchdown run straight up the gut, cutting the deficit to 14-7.
However, the Mavericks answered with an unbelievable sequence on their next drive. On a third-and-goal snap that sailed over the quarterback’s head, Sharpe recovered, scrambled, and launched a back-of-the-end-zone strike to Riley Miller for a 5-yard score.
“From calamity to celebration… From ‘oh my’ to ‘oh boy!’ Throws a prayer, catches a prayer right there.”
— Dan Shoemaker & Dr. Wayne Frasier, OEB Law Friday Night Showdown
Moments later, Anderson County defensive back Zach Happney jumped a deep pass over the middle for an interception. That takeaway sparked a fast ground attack capped by a pair of rushing scores from Lane LaRue – bursting in from 5 and 17 yards out—to cap an astonishing 35-point second-quarter onslaught heading into halftime.
“I mean, Mavericks are just imposing their will on the ground, aren’t they? … It’s just real simple football. As simple as it can get: our guys are going to be better than your guys.”
— Dr. Wayne Frasier & Dan Shoemaker, on AC’s offensive front
Defensively, coordinator Tony Lambert’s unit completely shut down South-Doyle’s aerial attack in the second half. Led by penetration from Lyric Jackson (tackles for loss and a late sack) alongside Jack Davis, Case Landon, and Vance Young, Anderson County repeatedly forced turnovers on downs in the red zone and limited big plays.
“When you can cover with seven and still get pressure like that, it makes defense easy.”
— Dr. Wayne Frasier, assessing the Maverick pass rush
With the game in hand late in the fourth quarter, Curringer broke free inside the 5-yard line and smartly gave himself up at the 1-yard line to allow Anderson County to bleed out the clock in victory formation.
Halftime Stats & Key Performers
- Total Yards (First Half): Anderson County 236 (203 rushing, 33 passing) | South-Doyle 93 (65 rushing, 28 passing)
- Anderson County Rushing: Case Curringer (14 CAR, 83 YDS, 1 TD) | Lane LaRue (2 TDs) | Brayden Sharpe (1 TD)
- Anderson County Passing: Brayden Sharpe (2/3, 33 YDS, 1 TD to Riley Miller; 28-yard completion to Elijah Johnson)
- South-Doyle Leaders: Walter Gould (11 CAR, 57 YDS, 1 TD) | Jeremiah Smith (multiple receptions) | Benson Brang (3/9, 28 YDS, 1 INT)
- Defense & Special Teams: Zach Happney (INT) | Hunter Wade (blocked punt) | Lyric Jackson (sack, multiple TFLs)
Looking Ahead to Week 11
The victory moves Anderson County to 6-3 overall (5-1 in Region 2-4A), setting up a massive regular-season finale on the road against region powerhouse Alcoa (9-0) on Friday, October 30.
Meanwhile, South-Doyle drops to 6-3 and will host the Fulton Falcons (4-5) as they look to secure their postseason positioning.
