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Alcoa trainer Peggy Bratt is going to have a busy week.

Judging by the number of Tornadoes players walking stiff and a little gimpy off the field Friday, Alcoa paid a price for its 21-3 quarterfinal victory over Loudon.

This was a version of Redskin football that banged like a set of Rock'em, Sock'em robots. The way Loudon hit when it won three state titles of its own.

But in a battle of attrition Alcoa proved it could win smashmouth as well as smooth and silky.

The Tornadoes' passing game was grounded and the big plays were hard to find, but the defense was solid enough to allow just one Loudon possession to cross the home 40.

And then there was Jaron Toney, the little back that could.

Loudon had no answer for Toney, who accounted for 229 of Alcoa's 292 yards and all of the trips across the goal line. But you can't fault Loudon for that. No one has had an answer for the compact package of power, speed and natural elusiveness.

That his last carry in front of a home crowd went for 36 yards and a state record tying touchdown was merely secondary to the senior, who has made the same sort of run 42 other times this season.

More importantly to him, that score extended Alcoa's season to a 14th game for the seventh straight year. The only thing Toney is chasing is a fourth ring on his finger, for himself and his teammates.

Toney may very well break the record when the Tornadoes travel to Elizabethton next Friday, he might not. It'll be behind a healing group of blockers if he does.

Toney won't care -- as long as Alcoa gets one more game.

Marcus Fitzsimmons is a sportswriter for The Daily Times who enjoys comments and snide remarks posted to this column's online version at www.thedailytimes.com.