Seniors hope to earn last home win

By Marcus Fitzsimmons
of The Daily Times Staff

One last time.

The last home game of the senior season awaits Alcoa’s veterans tonight when they take to Goddard Field at 7 p.m. in the state Class 2A semifinal with Donelson Christian (12-1). The Tornadoes’ 13 seniors, who in four seasons are 53-5 and without a loss to anything less than state champion from a higher classification home or away, have worked hard knowing that the road to Murfreesboro could include a fourth home playoff game this year.

“I’m not really a big home field advantage guy. You put 11 out there and you play, but the big thing for is our seniors know it’s their last game on their home field,” Alcoa head coach Gary Rankin said. “They have a lot invested in this program. I think in that situation and them knowing that they’ve set their plate well and set it so they could have their last game on their home field in the semifinals, it could be an advantage for us.”

DCA, which defeated York 34-12 to advance to the semis for the first time, isn’t a stranger to the postseason, just to the 2A classification version. The Wildcat seniors were in Murfreesboro the Friday night in 2004 when Alcoa (12-1) began its three-peat run, but they were hardly paying attention to the Tornadoes, having won their own 1A state title in the opening game of the championship weekend.

“They’ve won some state championships and it’s a great program,” said Rankin, who was also present that weekend, only then it was as the head coach of 5A champion Riverdale. “They were 2A and 1A when I was there, but I know their coach. They are as well-coached as any team on our schedule and they have some strong tradition there.”

The Region 5-2A Wildcats found Camden blocking their postseason path their first two seasons in 2A, with the perennial Region 6 power ending their season in the first round, 28-21, in 2005, and 41-10 last year. This year DCA didn’t have the Lions to worry about. Camden went to Region 7 in the 2A shuffle, and the new playoff seeding system made the Wildcats the only team from Regions 5-11 in the eastern side of the bracket.

Goodpasture (12-1), which has lost to Alcoa in the state finals the past two seasons, finished second in the region to DCA and is in the other 2A semi, hosting Peabody (10-3) after knocking off Camden, 26-24, in the second round and Hickman County, 35-12, last week.

“It’s the way it came out,” Rankin said. “They won their region. The way they worked it out in 2A this time, they were the team sent this way.”

Topping the list of Alcoa’s concerns is feature back Jeremy Worden. The senior rushed for 167 yards and had 105 receiving yards to score three touchdowns against York and added an interception and forced fumble on defense.

“He’s a great tailback. He may as be a good a tailback as we’ve seen all year,” Rankin said of the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder. “He’s a great athlete. He runs the ball well and he catches it well.”

The dimension added by 5-7 quarterback Chris Pierce makes DCA a difficult offense to defend.

“Their quarterback is a crafty, little accurate thrower,” Rankin said. “They have a great passing game. They’re a good solid team. They play good defense, are very balanced on offense and very deserving of where they’re at. They’re certainly one of the top four (2A) teams in the state.”

Alcoa counters with an offense that hasn’t been slowed since being held to 14 points in a Week 1 loss to Maryville. The Tornadoes have averaged better than 47 points game, with a low of 38 against CAK in the regular season meeting, since that August disappointment. Quarterback Randall Cobb has thrown for 18 touchdowns and nearly 1,600 yards, completing 78 of 117 attempts while rushing for another 660 yards and 11 scores. Troy Hodge and Jaron Tony are each within half a field of passing the 1,000-yard rushing mark and represent a combined 35 scores on the ground. Added to a defense that is giving up 13 points a game, Alcoa appears ready for the home stretch.

But the Tornado seniors still have unfinished business with their last season and last home game.

“It’s pretty special,” said Cobb, a Kentucky commitment.. “Knowing it’s your last game at home and you’ll never play at Goddard Field again — that’s a special thing. It’s special to do that as part of this program and being a part of Alcoa football.”