By: MTN Sports Reporter Noah Maddox
A wild rainy night in Wartrace that had a home playoff game on the line ended with Summertown winning.
Cascade was up 17-8 to start the fourth quarter before the Summertown Eagles scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and recovered on Cascade’s last drive to complete the comeback.
Summertown scored on the very first play of the game on a 75-yard touchdown run by Ty Bryant and a successful two-point conversion to go up 8-0.
The Champions respond on the next drive with a methodical drive down into Eagle territory that stalled at the 20-yard line, and Senior kicker Drake Hodge drilled a 36 yard field goal to put Cascade on the board.
For the rest of the first quarter, both defenses stepped up, forcing multiple three and outs. Then about two minutes into the second quarter, Cascade forced a fourth down at the Summertown 25-yard line. Cascade blocked the ensuing punt.
The Eagles defense would hold the Champions offense, stopping Cascade on a fourth down of their own.
Summertown used up about four minutes on their next drive that stalled on their own 48-yard line. After the punt, Cascade started their drive at their own 23 with 4:07 to go in the half. Using the passing attack, the Champions marched down the field and capped the drive off
with a 16-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Ryan Inmon to Hayden Dowell to take the lead going into the locker room up 10-8 at halftime.
Cascade then got the ball to start the second half and picked up where they left off, marching down the field with a five minute drive to extend their lead to 17-8.
Summertown wouldn’t score the entire third quarter, and they capped it off by fumbling on a quarterback sneak at the Cascade two-yard line at the end of the third quarter.
The Eagles would force a three and out however, and on the next drive they would finally cap off a drive with a touchdown run from senior quarterback Colton Shaffer to cut the lead to 17-15 with about ten minutes to go.
Cascade would go three-and-out once again, and then after a bad snap on the punt attempt, Summertown took over at the Cascade 30-yard line with just under nine minutes to go.
Summertown would gain a net total of zero yards before fourth down. Outside of field goal range, the Eagles were forced to go for it. Shaffer dropped back and unleashed a 30-yard bomb to wideout Javen Edmiston for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown with 7:32 to go in the fourth quarter.
Cascade would field the short kickoff at midfield, needing a touchdown but having over seven minutes to get one. Slowly but surely, Inmon would move Cascade down the field to the Eagles 25-yard line. After a fourth down conversion, Inmon then fumbled the ball on the first down carry, and Summertown recovered.
Summertown would then get one first down, run out the clock, and hold on to win 21-17 on the road. Summertown will host the first round of the playoffs on Friday, and Cascade will be forced to travel