By Mike Blackerby

sports@timesfreepress.com

ATHENS, Tenn. — Tevin McDermott’s home-run ability was the difference between victory and defeat Friday night as McMinn County High School knocked Oak Ridge out of the first round of the Class 6A playoffs, 12-7.

The speedy McDermott tallied on a 49-yard run in the second quarter and scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown with 8:25 to play when he turned a short pass in the flat from quarterback Cy Ables into a 70-yard gain.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior rushed for 156 yards on 19 carries and hauled in four passes for 104 yards as the Cherokees (9-2) advance to the second round next week at Maryville.

“If we don’t have him, we lose,” McMinn County coach Bo Cagle said. “The only constant was we had No. 11 (McDermott).”

Oak Ridge (7-4), which played without starting quarterback Bradley Zulliger (ankle), had two opportunities in the final eight minutes but couldn’t convert.

The Wildcats drove to the McMinn 22 with four minutes to play, but Oak Ridge turned the ball over on a bad pitch from quarterback Zach Zulliger to running back Rocky Fluud. Oak Ridge marched to the Cherokees’ 30 on its final possession, but Zulliger was intercepted by Travis Smith at the 14 with less than a minute to play. It was Smith’s second interception of the game.

“Somebody has got to make plays, and tonight they made more plays,” Wildcats coach Scott Blade said.

“We had our opportunities and didn’t capitalize. The kids fought hard and did the best they could. We just came up a little short.”

Oak Ridge scored on the game’s first series, moving 80 plays in 12 plays. The Wildcats reached the end zone on a fourth-and-10 from the McMinn 37 as wideout Morgan Guymon went up high to grab a pass just across the goal. Guymon had five catches for 81 yards and also intercepted a pass.

The Wildcats had trouble sustaining any offense the rest of the way. They finished with 265 total yards and were forced to punt seven times.

Zulliger led them in rushing with 61 yards on 19 carries and was 12-for-29 passing for 133 yards.

“We relied on our defense,” said Cagle, whose offense struggled except for McDermott.

Ables was only 4-for-13 passing and lost interceptions to Guymon, Brian Loeffler and Tyrus Henderson.

Cagle said it was a tough week of practice coming off a win over top-ranked Ooltewah last Friday.

“We came out as flat as we could be tonight,” he said. “Emotionally, it was tough coming off the win over Ooltewah, but that’s no excuse.”