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Christian Academy of Knoxville lived up to its reputation of being the only team besides Maryville to score a touchdown against Alcoa.

The Warriors found the end zone twice Friday in a Class 2A second-round playoff game. They even held a second-quarter lead over the Region 2-2A rival Tornadoes.

"We didn't have any energy or any spunk," Alcoa coach Gary Rankin said. "I think I overworked them this week. We looked tired when the game started."

A slow start failed to faze the Tornadoes as running back Jaron Toney responded to an early CAK touchdown by sprinting in from 32 yards out, one of his two scores in a surprisingly close 28-14 win over the Warriors.

Toney finished with 131 of Alcoa's 301 rushing yards, earning the Tornadoes (11-1) a home game against Loudon in next week's quarterfinals.

"We just thought we were going to take over," Toney said. "We just didn't do it the way we thought. ... But we ended up doing what we needed to do."

The hosts won without star kicker Derrick Brodus. The junior was kicked off the team Wednesday when he informed Rankin he would miss next Friday's quarterfinal because of a soccer commitment, said Sam Thompson, a senior starter at wide receiver and linebacker who also serves as backup kicker. Rankin said Brodus would not be on the team next year, either.

The Tornadoes converted two-point conversions twice in the game after Roberto Castro missed extra points.

Alcoa fell behind on the first play of the second quarter, when CAK quarterback Michael Fromke found Taylor Moran in the corner of the end zone. It was the first touchdown an opponent had scored all season at Goddard Field.

"I think it was more surprise than tiredness," Thompson said. "They hit a couple stop-and-gos. They were pumping our (defensive backs) and taking advantage of our aggressiveness."

Thompson and the Alcoa defense tightened up after that, forcing Fromke into incompletions on 12 of his next 17 passes. Fromke finished 11-of-35 for 172 yards and three interceptions, including one by Thompson. As the senior explained how he began jumping routes and jamming receivers, Warriors coach Rusty Bradley, standing a few feet away, interjected.

"He threw our timing off a lot," Bradley said. "They just make you play perfect.

"I thought (Thompson) was a senior last year. I thought, 'Man, I got another year of you.'"

Thompson turned out to be a nightmare for Bradley again on this night, shutting down early crossing routes that CAK (7-5) had used so successfully on that touchdown drive, from the linebacker position he assumed midseason.

While Thompson was wrecking havoc on defense, Toney was feasting on the Warriors' defense. With Alcoa trailing 7-0, Toney slowly entered a cloud of defenders before bursting out the other side en route to his 32-yard score. On the next possession, the Tornadoes averaged 10 yards a carry on four straight rushes leading to a 6-yard rushing touchdown from Cameron Foster as Alcoa took the lead for good.

"They have a lot of speed and are hard to tackle," Bradley said. "We just tried to wrap up and hang on, and eventually they're going to make plays."

The Tornadoes had no trouble making plays over the final three quarters as Toney added a second score and Tyler Robinson caught a 5-yard pass from Chase James. Fromke did find Moran for another late touchdown before Alcoa ran out the clock on the ground.

"The kids fought back," Rankin said. "We had to suck it up and go, and we did."