Junior Cyclones fall to Greeneville
Published 8:28 pm Thursday, October 3, 2024
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones' Legend Pate (7) was in beast mode from his very first carry of the game Wednesday night against the Greene Devils of Greeneville Middle School on Steve Spurrier Field inside Kermit Tipton Stadium.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones' Legend Pate (7) barrels his way through Greeneville’s front line for a first down early in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones' Legend Pate (7) beats the last Greeneville defender to the corner and races for a 36-yard touchdown to tie the score at six with 4:18 left in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Cyclone quarterback Creed Baker (12) looks to fire a quick out pass late in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent TA Dugger’s Legend Pate (7) stretches the ball across the goal line for the final yard of his second touchdown of the game early in the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones' Max Fields (14) makes an incredible sliding catch along the sideline for a first down midway through the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones' Callen Reed (18) gets into the Greeneville secondary on a first down run midway through the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones' Legend Pate (7) steps out of the arm tackle of Greeneville’s Mauricio Jardinez (54) and into the end zone for his third touchdown of the contest with 4:14 left in the half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones answer a Greeneville touchdown on the ensuing kickoff when Legend Pate (7) turns on the jets and races down the sideline for a 60-plus-yard touchdown with 3:49 left in the half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent While waiting during a timeout on a two-point play, the "Chain Gang" breaks out their best dance moves to Queen’s “We Will Rock You” late in the second quarter.
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Star Correspondent
GREENEVILLE – On Wednesday evening, the T.A. Dugger football squad closed out its season with a 48-42 loss to Greeneville Middle School at Kermit Tipton Stadium. Eighth grader Legend Pate rushed for 307 yards and six touchdowns, including a 63-yard kickoff return touchdown.
“We made one mistake, and it’s a team effort,” Junior Cyclones head coach Brock Pittman said. “Legend is one of the best football players I have ever coached. I’m proud of the effort they gave, we just didn’t do enough to win the game. But after the devastation of the last five days, there are worse losses than we suffered here tonight.”
The first half was a wild scoring contest, with the Greene Devils scoring early and often as running back Zaire Neal rushed for 471 yards and six touchdowns. Andes Bowman capped the first Devils drive with a 32-yard scamper for a 6-0 Greeneville lead.
Pate answered with a 36-yard scoring run to knot the score at 6-6. Neal responded with a 67-yard run, and Hudson Quillen added the two-point conversion for a 14-6 Devils lead. After TAD went out on downs on its next possession, Neal scored on a 47-yard run and added the conversion for a 22-6 Greeneville lead.
On the second play of the second quarter, Pate scored on a seven-yard run, and Carson Lyons added the two-point conversion. However, the Devils could not be stopped, with Neal scoring his third touchdown on a 23-yard run to make it 28-14.
TAD cut the lead to 28-20 with Pate scoring again on a two-yard run, but Neal answered quickly with an 88-yard run to make it 34-20. Pate then scored on a 63-yard kickoff return.
With four seconds left in the first half, Neal scored on a 15-yard run, and Quillen passed to Bowman for the two-point conversion, giving the Devils a 42-26 halftime lead.
TAD took the second-half kickoff and drove 48 yards on seven plays, with Pate scoring from 11 yards out and adding the conversion to cut the Devils’ lead to 42-34. Late in the third period, Neal scored again, this time on a 92-yard run.
Pate responded with a seven-yard run, and Quillen ran in the conversion. After getting the only stop of the night, TAD drove to the eight-yard line, but Pate’s fumble was recovered by Greeneville, who ran out the clock.
“We just didn’t do enough of the little things you need to do to win,” Pittman said. “But these guys never quit, they all have tremendous attitudes and a lot of heart.”
Greeneville 48, T.A. Dugger 42
Greeneville 22 20 0 6 – 48
T.A. Dugger 6 20 8 8 – 42
Scoring summary
First Quarter
G – Bowman 32 run (run failed) 5:47
E – Pate 36 run (pass failed) 4:18
G – Neal 67 run (Neal run) 3:44
G – Neal 47 run (Quillen run) 1:55
Second Quarter
T – Pate 9 run (Lyons run) 7:33
G – Neal 23 run (run failed) 5:48
T – Pate 2 run (pass failed)
G – Neal 88 run (run failed) 3:57
T – Pate 63 kickoff return (pass failed) 3:46
G – Neal 15 run (Quillen pass to Bowman) :04
Third Quarter
T – Pate 11 run (Pate run) 6:00
Fourth Quarter
G – Neal 92 run (run failed) 4:22
T – Pate 12 run (Baker run) 1:42
