2007 GREENBACK

Photography by Jammie Graves

Text by Dewey Morgan - Loudon News Herald 

Among the hazy mist of cannon fire, Loudon completed the sweep of county opponents with a 49-14 win over Greenback at Dukes Field.

The celebratory cannon Redskin faithful shoot off after a home touchdown saw plenty of work as the hosts took a 35-0 lead after the opening quarter and cruised from there as they handed the Cherokees their first loss of the year.

Greenback opened the game with an onside kick attempt, but the Redskins fell on the ball at their own 39.  Two plays later, tailback D’Andre Miley rushed 55 yards to paydirt to put the hosts up.  Carlos Espinoza nailed the point after and 27 seconds into the game Loudon led 7-0.

The ‘Kees failed to gain a yard on the ensuing possession and punted the ball back to the Redskins.  Tyler Campbell broke through Greenback tacklers to the endzone on the return, but it was called back due to a block in the back.

The Redskin offense was undaunted as four plays later they found the end zone again from the Greenback 16.  This time, quarterback Blake McNew threw a swing pass to Grant Gasper on the right hashmark and the senior raced 16 yards for the score.  Espinoza again added the PAT and the hosts led 14-0.

Things continued going Loudon’s way on the next possession as Greenback’s Cody Knight fumbled the kickoff and the Redskins recovered on the Cherokee 15.

It took just one play for Tyler Campbell to take his first carry of the night to the house and, after Espinoza’s kick, give Loudon a 21-0 advantage.

The struggles continued for Greenback on the next possession as Shawn Petty picked up three yards on the first play, but quarterback Bunkie Vanskiver threw his first of three interceptions.  From his own 35, Vanskiver fired a pass to the right hashmark that was bobbled between two Cherokee receivers.  The ball bounced behind them and Campbell came away with the interception.  He raced in between defenders, reached the left sideline and raced 42 yards to paydirt.  Espinoza added another PAT and the host lead was 28.

The first extended possession of the evening for Greenback came with 6:24 remaining in the quarter.  The visitors moved 58 yards in 12 plays, primarily behind passes from Vanskiver to Chase Vogt.  The QB hooked up with his receiver four times on the drive for 55 yards.

Once the Cherokees got to the host 11, though, another turnover killed the drive.  Vanskiver dropped to pass, but Jake Kleinschmidt intercepted his pass and returned the ball back to the Loudon 11.

McNew’s first pass on the ensuing drive was incomplete, but Loudon went back to the successful ground game and again found the end zone.  With 11 second remaining in the quarter, Campbell took the handoff on a sweep right and took off down the sideline for an 89-yard TD run.  Espinoza capped the opening period scoring with an extra point that put the Redskins up 35-0.

The hosts scored again on the next drive behind the feet of Tyler Barr.  The tailback carried the ball on two of the drive’s three plays, gaining 44 yards on his first carry and punching the ball in from a yard out on his second.  Espinoza’s point after gave Loudon a 42-point lead.

Greenback finally found the end zone on the ensuing possession.  Vanskiver began the drive with a six-yard swing pass to Vogt, moving the ball to the visitors’ 36.  From there, Vanskiver hit Ernie Stinnett in the flats on the left side and Stinnett raced down the sideline for the score.  Greenback Head Coach Brent Kilpatrick chose to go for two, and Vanskiver found Vogt on a slant patter on the goal line to cut the Loudon advantage to 42-8.

The final score of the half came in the last seconds as the Redskin offense drove the ball to the Greenback six with three seconds remaining.  McNew found Gregory Vaught slanting across the middle of the end zone and Espinoza’s point after gave the hosts a 41-point advantage at the half.

The mercy rule was implemented through the second half, limiting the possessions and scoring opportunities for each team.

Greenback managed the only score of the second half after recovering a Zach Franklin fumble.  Beginning from the Loudon 47, the Cherokees orchestrated a five-play, 53-yard scoring drive capped by a Vanskiver pass to Cody Lane on a slant pattern from the 26-yard line.  The conversion attempt failed as Vanskiver’s pass sailed past the covered receiver, sealing the final score of 49-8.

After the game, Kilpatrick said “apparently we weren’t prepared to play tonight,” and took responsibility for his team “coming out, playing flat and making mistakes.”

Kilpatrick said it was “apparent our intensity level wasn’t what it needed to be” in the first half, but told his team he was proud of improved effort in the second half.

Kilpatrick said of his quarterback, “Bunkie stayed in and made some good throws.”  Also of the team’s leading receiver, Vogt, “Chase found some open spots in the zone.”  He added the team needed more than just those two in the upcoming region game against Harriman.

Kilpatrick was unsure exactly how a loss of this type would affect his team, but said, “We’re going to coach them hard.  They better respond.”

Vanskiver finished the game completing 10 of 23 passes for 157 yards.  He tossed two touchdowns and three interceptions.  Vogt caught six balls for 66 yards and Stinnett grabbed two for 64 yards and a touchdown.

McNew was successful on three of his four passes for 30 yards and two touchdowns.  Campbell rushed twice for 104 yards and two touchdowns.  He also scored once defensively.  Miley carried the ball seven times for 91 yards and a score.  The Redskins finished the game with 324 yards on the ground.

Loudon (3-1, 0-1) travels to Sweetwater Friday for a region matchup while Greenback (2-1, 1-0) returns home to face Harriman.  Both games are scheduled for 7:30