October 25: The Gibbs Game

Russell Mayes: And welcome back to the WLIL Saturday Morning High School Football Report. [This is] Russell Mayes...along with Loudon Head Football Coach Jeff Harig as the Loudon Redskins get a 50 to 7 win over the Gibbs Eagles last night at Dukes Field. Coach Harig, good morning.

Jeff Harig: Good morning.

Mayes: Well, coach, I hate to announce that probably our big highlight that we were going to have on the Saturday Morning High School Football Report - I can't find it on my tape anywhere - and that was of Coach Scott Mackintosh getting so excited right before halftime on the Redskins last touchdown with no time on the clock. He started to run to the locker room before the extra point was kicked. Coach, I can't believe we don't have that.

Harig: That hurts my feelings. I was looking forward to hearing that this morning.

Mayes: Well, and certainly it was that kind of night for the Loudon Redskins. Just an exciting night overall; and [it was] just a good night to be a Redskin.

Harig: It was. We've gone through a rough week with the injury; and we had a discipline situation. I was just glad to get on the football field; and for those two hours, we could forget about things and move forward...and move forward with our football team.

Mayes: Talk a little bit about getting your team ready to play this week against Gibbs. I know the last two weeks, as you said, have been very difficult: you come off what was just a heartbreaking loss to Kingston. This Gibbs game against a Gibbs team that has been struggling this year, sandwiched in between that disappointing loss to Kingston and, of course, the game that I know everyone will be excited about next week against Lenoir City. How do you get your team prepared to play a game that's kind of sandwiched in between two big ballgames?

Harig: Its extremely difficult. Our Senior Class [they were] awfully disappointed. There was a lot of frustration this week in the fact that we can't qualify for the playoffs, and we're faced with playing out our schedule, and faced with a team that is hard to get motivated to play. We had some situations this week...I think that they all stem from frustration. What we need to understand as a team is that we represent something that is bigger than us that is going to be here when we're gone. And that's the City of Loudon. That is, you represent pride and you represent dedication; and that's what we deserve to give; and that's what we have to give. As coaches we have to instill that in our team: that just because you don't qualify for the playoffs, you still represent your city and your family; and you need to go out and conduct yourself in a certain way; and that's just the way we're going to handle it.

Mayes: Well, you know, there are ten football games in a season; and whether or not you make it to the playoffs or not, the Redskins had two games left in the season; and that's still two chances to win a football game. I know that has to be something that has to be motivating in itself.

Harig: No question. Last year we didn't take care of business in our last two football games. That left a sour taste in our mouth all year. That's what we're focused on right now. The good thing is that we've got Gibbs out of the way, and we can turn our attention to Lenoir City.

Mayes: You start off the game for the first time, in just about forever, scoring first in the football game; and that came off of a turnover. Kevin Kirkland intercepted a pass for the Redskins, and then Loudon goes on a seven-play, eighty-yard drive, capped off by a forty-four yard run by Patric Johnson. Coach, it had to be good to score first.

Harig: It was. We didn't know how to act. We were brought back down to earth real quick.

Mayes: And Gibbs did come back as they put together a drive, and they put it in the endzone. It looked like it was going to be one of those ball games where both teams were going to be running up and down the field, just like it was [during] the first half of the Scott County game.

Harig: No question. We've got some young men on the team that, [although] they're not one to start a fight, but they might need a punch in the mouth or something to get started. It seems that's the way we've carried ourselves all year, that a team's got to do something to us before we get kickstarted. We responded the next time we got the ball and continued to respond the rest of the game

Mayes: And that seemed to be what the Redskins needed to kind of get jumpstarted back into the football game. Trailing 7 to 6, you get a big kickoff return, and Patric Johnson punches it in for the Redskins. You have a 13 to 7 lead, and then really, in a way [in what was] kind of a backbreaking play for Gibbs, the Eagles get the football right back and they throw a pass that's intercepted. Josh McQueen runs it back for a touchdown. Coach, tell us a little bit about that play.

Harig: That was just a quick pass. They threw it out the ... and Chase Randolph made a nice break on the ball. As the kid went to catch it, he kind of batted it out of his hand; and the ball flew up in the air, and Josh got...the ball out of the air there and ran down the right sidelines and got a touchdown.

Mayes: And that's really a hallmark of this Redskin defense, something that we've seen in the past years. They're always seem to be able to make the big plays like that.

Harig: Uh...we have. Unfortunately, we haven't made enough this year to keep us in some ball games; but we practice situations where, if we're near a fumble, we're going to scoop and score. We're looking to be aggressive on defense; and when we get a chance to score, we're going to take advantage of it.

Mayes: So the Redskins, at that point, have a 21 to 7 lead. The second quarter for Loudon [was] basically all Redskins as Chris Hutchens get a 31 yard touchdown run. Yoni Espinoza has a 38 yard field goal; and then Jake Brantley has a great run for the Redskins with no time on the clock. That's a touch situation right there: [you] basically get the ball back with 17 seconds left, and basically maybe just a play to run out the clock and you get a touchdown out of it.

Harig: He made a real nice run on that play.

Mayes: Well, and certainly, you go into the halftime locker room 37 to 7 over Gibbs. Tell us a little bit about what it was like at halftime.

Harig: We haven't been in that situation this year, and the players were awfully excited. We kind of had to bring them back down to earth a little bit, just to understand [that you have to] conduct yourself with class, act like you've been here before, and go out in the second half and no matter who your are, go out and play hard and execute what you're asked to do.

Mayes: And I guess a byproduct of that is [that] in the second half you get a lot of young guys extended playing time in this football game. That had to be a very good thing.

Harig: It was. These guys have been practicing all year with us, and it was nice to be able to get them into a varsity game and get them some playing time.

Mayes: Josh Hawkins, in the third quarter, had a 77 yard touchdown run. I know that you're very excited about his future, and it was a great touchdown run there to take it 77 yards.

Harig: It was. The offensive line, our young kids, executed awfully well. Coach Brown has them coming in and running our offense. That was our JV offensive line, mixed in with some freshman. They were able to execute that play. Josh showed some good speed in running down the sidelines.

Mayes: And then the final score of the game was Cody Wiggins on a five yard touchdown run, as basically the JV'ers and the freshmen put together a long drive to put it in the endzone. [It was] a good way to finish the ball game, 50 to 7. But a lot of credit, coach, has to go to your defense. It seemed like they had Gibbs baffled all night long.

Harig: We tried to mix up some looks, but basically when you get down 21 to 7, as long as you don't give up a big play defensively, you can stay in the game and you know that you're up two or three scores; and you don't have to be too aggressive. Our kids responded. [We] had a good week of getting better, a good week of practice; and hopefully, some of the things we had going on this week are behind us and we can focus solely on Lenoir City.

Mayes: Well, you've had a chance to take a look at the film. Coach, tell us about some of the other players that had a big night for the Redskins.

Harig: Up front, we had a pretty big night. We were impressed with Josh Conn er. Our offensive line - our entire offensive line - played well. Defensively, we had a good game from Adam Russell. Tyler Foshee played a good game. Of our young linebackers, Coach Stewart really has them playing well right now; and we're awfully excited about some of these players reading their keys and getting to the football. The future looks real good for Loudon.

Mayes: Well now, coach, you get ready for the game that I know everyone looks forward to all year long. Its the Battle of the Bridge. I know it has to be a little more special for you because your wife, Shannon, is a Lenoir City graduate.

Harig: It is. She roots for Loudon during football season, but during basketball season, her heart is still in Lenoir City. We're going to go out and play hard. This is going to be Coach Newman's last game with the Redskins. He's getting a promotion at the police department; and he won't have the time to come and coach with us anymore, so we're looking forward to sending him out on a winning note.

Mayes: Well, this game is always special. Lenoir City has won the last two meetings. Of course last year was, especially for the Redskins, a big heartbreaker as the Redskins, on the drive late in the ball game, couldn't get it into the endzone. Tell us a little bit about what you've seen from this Lenoir City team this year.

Harig: Well, Coach White is doing a great job with that football team. They are a physical football team; and they'll hit you in the mouth. That's something [for which] we're going to have to step up and meet. I felt we did that against Kingston. We're going to have to step up and meet them physically to compete. They're doing some things that Maryville does in their split backs. Its hard to find the football. Offensively, its a big challenge trying to stop their offense. Ronald Hightower, one of their running backs, is really kind of stepped up of late, and he's running the ball hard. He's a big play threat. Defensively, I think it all starts with number seven, the Dutton kid. He's a heck of a player. They give a lot of looks, moving around a lot; and its going to be difficult for us to contain their defensive pressure. If we can step up and meet those few things, then we should be ok.

Mayes: Its going to be a short practice week for you as the game's played on Thursday. Will that create any new difficulties?

Harig: Well, we're going to go ahead and go out Monday. The good thing was that we didn't have to play a hard, physical game Friday. We're just going to treat Monday as we would Tuesday. We're going to lift a little; we'll get out in full pads, go through practice; and its going to be a work day for us.

Mayes: Well, coach, congratulations on the big win against Gibbs. I know everyone has to be excited. We'll let you get back to your preparations for Lenoir City, and we'll see you for the Battle of the Bridge on Thursday.

Harig: Thank you very much.