Trojans outlast Blue Raiders in 5-AAA thriller

photo Cleveland's T.J. Parker looks to evade Soddy-Daisy's Austin Williamson (20) and Trever Crisp (28).

Cleveland welcomed back runners Raekwon Bunion and T.J. Parker, and the pair frolicked Friday night. Yet it was Soddy-Daisy that chugged into the winner's circle behind a bamboo defense and a near 300-yard passing outing from quarterback Hunter Maynor.

Taking a thumping by Ooltewah two weeks ago and an open date to heart, the host Trojans pulled out a 23-16 District 5-AAA victory in what some would call an upset, especially considering that Cleveland had won back-to-back games to struggle back to .500.

"I'm sure most people will see it like that. They're a great ballclub," Soddy-Daisy coach Justin Barnes said. "At our media day I said we had to have a couple of signature wins, and Cleveland being the type program they are, that's a signature win for us."

Parker picked up 191 rushing yards and Bunion gad 168 yards, showing no ill effects from injuries that had hobbled them earlier in the season, but the Trojans made two defensive stands inside the red zone and had two fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

"It's that bend-but-don't break defense, I guess," Barnes said. "We came out at halftime and they gashed us right off the bat, but we took advantage of a couple of turnovers."

The Trojans picked up the early lead when Tyler Sullivan tackled a Blue Raider in the end zone with 6:53 to play in the first quarter and then got a momentum-swinging touchdown from versatile Tre Carter, whose 54-yard reverse boosted the Trojans' lead to 9-0 with little more than five minutes remaining in the second period.

"You know, Hunter's my lead blocker on that play and he got a good piece of a guy as I turned the corner. Without that block, I probably don't score," said Carter, a junior receiver and defensive back and punter.

"That was a good play. We hadn't really been clicking early, and it got us going," Barnes said.

Maynor, who passed for 119 yards in the first half, picked it up in the second and finished the night with 295 yards on 19 completions in 28 attempts with no interceptions. He had a 1-yard rushing TD and a fourth-quarter, go-ahead TD pass of 64 yards to Blake Smith.

Cleveland made it a race, scoring on a 4-yard Bunion run with 0:46 left in the second quarter and taking a 13-9 lead on a 73-yard Parker run just 20 seconds into the second half.

The Trojans rallied on the very next possession, capped by Maynor's run, but Cleveland tied it with 7:11 to play in the third period on a 26-yard field goal by Brandon Romero.

Soddy-Daisy broke back ahead on the long pass from Maynor to Smith, who finished with four receptions for 155 yards.

The Trojans held and came within 30 seconds of running out the clock -- thanks to hard-nosed running by Cale Morgan and the pickup of a first down by Carter on a fake punt.

It was Morgan, though, who iced the game, recovering a fumble on a catch and pitchback by the Blue Raiders with 0:06 left to play.

Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.

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