CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Daxton Evans knew what Cleveland’s defensive front was up against Friday night.
Hardin Valley’s offensive line was the biggest thing in the way.
“We had to just come out from the start and just be stronger, be bigger than how big their line was,” the Blue Raiders junior said. “They were big and strong, but we just had to play fast and play to their level, and we played better than the level.”
Evans made three tackles for loss, and the Cleveland defense held the Hawks to a single touchdown in a 14-10 win in a TSSAA Region 2-6A matchup. With it, the Blue Raiders (8-1, 4-1) secured a top-two finish in the region with a week remaining in the regular season and will host a first-round playoff game for the first time since 2014, a year after finishing 1-9.
Evans also credited Noah Nicholas, saying the nose guard “played his heart out tonight. I don’t even know how many tackles he had.”
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
Senior quarterback Kason McGowan ran for 72 yards and both Cleveland touchdowns on 15 carries, and he was 7-of-16 passing for 88 yards. He said the defense deserved the credit.
“I feel like a lot of people say, ‘You did this,'” McGowan said. “I don’t think I did anything. I think defense really carried it, and they brought home the dub for us.”
Cleveland vs. Hardin Valley football on Oct. 23, 2026
Said Cleveland second-year head coach Chris Brown: “The offense that Hardin Valley runs is just really well-coached, and it puts so much pressure on you to not only physically but mentally align and play your assignment every play. For the most part, I couldn’t be more proud of our defense for playing snap-to-snap, disciplined, assignment football.”
(READ MORE: Cleveland flips rivalry script vs. Bradley Central in blowout victory)
The lone sustained success for Hardin Valley (6-3, 3-3) came on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that started late in the third quarter. Quarterback Riley Matz completed five passes to Nick Rivers for 42 yards on the march. The Hawks finished it with a 9-yard touchdown run with 9:08 left, taking a 10-7 lead.
Cleveland answered right away. Jeremiah Brownlow returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Hardin Valley 47, and a personal foul on the Hawks moved the ball to the 32. On the next snap, Tyrell Amerson broke a 29-yard run to the 3.
McGowan’s 1-yard scoring run was wiped out by a penalty, and Cleveland soon faced fourth-and-goal from the 1. An offside penalty on Hardin Valley gave the Blue Raiders half the distance, and McGowan pushed in with 6:41 to play.
The Hawks moved to midfield on their final possession and faced fourth-and-7. Matz’s completion came up 5 yards shy, and Zayvian Jarrett made the stop. Cleveland ran out the clock from there, with McGowan running 15 yards on third-and-9 and adding a 10-yard run for another first down.
(TENNESSEE VALLEY SHOWDOWN: Help your school win $50,000! Already subscribe? Cast your vote. Not a subscriber? Subscribe here.)
After a scoreless first quarter, Hardin Valley took a 3-0 lead on Logan Holbrook’s 36-yard field goal with 5:48 left in the half. Cleveland answered with an 80-yard drive. Amerson started it with an 18-yard run, and McGowan found Caidyn Thompson for a 30-yard gain to the 4. McGowan scored on a 4-yard run with 2:18 left, and the Blue Raiders led 7-3 at halftime.
Holbrook missed two other field-goal tries in the first half, and Cleveland’s Rader Brose missed a 44-yarder in the third quarter. Matz was 12-of-18 passing for 119 yards, and Rivers had seven receptions for 62 yards.
The Blue Raiders host Farragut (1-8, 1-4) next week.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.