Nolan's running leads Grundy to victory

photo Grundy County Yellow Jackets senior Mike Nolan

Mike Nolan ran the ball just 12 times and only three times in the second half.

The senior finished with 228 rushing yards, three touchdowns and seven tackles as Grundy County bested Grace Academy 48-14 to earn Nolan Times Free Press Player of the Week honors.

"It was nothing fancy, just running hard and running straight ahead," Yellow Jackets coach Nick Bryant said. "It was one of the best games I've ever seen him have. They didn't want to tackle him."

For his effort and to avoid embarrassing Grace any further, Nolan spent most of the third quarter and all of the fourth along the Grundy sidelines, not even going in for defense.

"We started cutting his carries in the third quarter. He only got three the entire quarter and two of them were for touchdowns," Bryant said.

Although the Yellow Jackets lost their opener to Marion County, Nolan had a good opening week as well, hammering the Warriors for 117 yards which puts him among the top five area rushing leaders thus far with 345 yards. He also recorded 12 tackles.

"He's finally coming into that group of senior leaders. His first carry went for 45 yards, and it was straight-ahead, power running," Bryant said. "Our offense goes as he goes, and he has finally admitted to himself that if he does well chances are that the team is going to do well."

The 5-foot-11, 225-pounder Nolan, a student with a high-B average, has aspirations of playing college football and has qualified academically. Cumberland University and University of the Cumberlands have been pursuing him and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and MTSU are keeping tabs on his progress.

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

13 for 13 Week 2

(Listed alphabetically)

Brody Binder, Ooltewah: 271 passing yards, 3 TDs.

Zach Cobb, Gordon Lee: 216 rushing yards, 20 attempts, 2 TDs.

D.J. Jones, Cleveland: 4 TDs, 2 receiving, 1 rushing, 1 on return, 217 all-purpose yards.

Chandler Lathem, Trion: 3 TDs on two receptions and 45-yard fumble return.

Shandon Lyle, Whitwell: 199 total offense yards (108 passing), 4 TDs including 45-yard interception return.

Hunter Maynor, Soddy-Daisy: 250 passing yards, 3 TDs.

James McClellan, Signal Mountain: 199 rushing yards, TD.

Zach Miller, Polk County: 210 rushing yards, 3 TDs.

Mike Nolan, Grundy County: 228 rushing yards, 3 TDs, 12 carries, 7 tackles.

Kareem Orr, Notre Dame: 2 TDs, 133 yards (4 catches), 2 interceptions (1 for TD).

Demetrius Patterson, Rhea County: 171 rushing yards (9 carries), 3 TDs.

Kile Sholl, Ringgold: 2 TDs, 41 rushing yards, 68 receiving yards, 2 interceptions.

Desmon Turner, Fort Payne: 2 punt returns for TDs (138 total yards), rushing TD, 2-point conversion.

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