Coming and going
Greenback may have seen the return of kicker Jeremy Miller Friday but the Cherokees still had to do without offensive coordinator Mark Streit.
The first-year assistant had to deal with a family emergency in Nashville, leaving coach Justin Ridge, primarily a defensive guru, to call the offensive plays.
| Greenback 48, Sweetwater 14 |
“I’m not very good at it,” Ridge said. “I’ve done it before. We put a couple of extra things in this week. It’s been hard on me, just time-wise. But we understand why he’s not here and everything. It’s his offense and we just basically tried to do some things we were planning to do anyway.”
Ridge scrapped Streit’s no-huddle system because he didn’t have the time to put together the cards Streit uses each week to telegraph plays. The coach admitted the ‘Kees could’ve used that no-huddle when quarterback Travis Sellers had his team down to the Sweetwater 1-yard line in the final seconds of the first half. Sellers still punched it in for the score, but Ridge said he hopes he can have his top offensive mind back next week at Harriman.
“If anything, it wasn’t as good as what he would’ve done,” Ridge said.
| Burnette breaks out |
Tyler Burnette has to be the early favorite for area defensive player of the week, and the senior didn’t look too shabby on offense either. The Florida transplant moved from a 6A school in the sunshine state last fall where he specialized in baseball. Burnette said he was told to play any sport he could at class A Greenback, so he picked up football.
The decision paid dividends for the Cherokees Friday. Burnette returned one of his two first quarter picks for a touchdown and caught a 34-yard pass in the second quarter for his second score of the game.
“Everybody says I’m slow,” Burnette said. “I ran as hard as I could trying to burn ‘em. I always want coach to throw me a fade and this was my first chance and I had him beat. Perfect pass by Travis.”
Ridge attested to that lack of speed, but the shortstop certainly fooled the Wildcats Friday.
“He’s only been playing football two years I think,” Ridge said. “He’s just a football player, man. He works hard and makes plays.”
| Sputtering offense |
Ridge’s playcalling may have led to 48 points, but it wasn’t all roses for the Cherokees offensively. The run game looked hot and cold. Freshman tailback Richard Seymour’s eventual 116 yards seemed like a fairy tale when the Cherokees ended the first quarter without a single first down.
(Hear Ridge on the ‘Kees start)
The hosts had the same problem at the start of the third quarter, stumbling around and letting Sweetwater back into the game with a Sellers fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Of course, Seymour erased any doubt with a cutting 58-yard run across the field on the next play.
“We made a couple adjustments at halftime and then the first series we had the ball we forgot the adjustments,” Ridge said. (Hear Ridge’s adjustments)
| Short week: Glenn, Miller and other notes on Harriman |
That run game was also missing senior Trey Glenn, who was in street clothes after suffering an injury at Rockwood last week. Ridge said he was hoping to to get Glenn released by doctors to play against the Blue Devils. Unfortunately for Ridge, it’s a short week with the Cherokees playing on the new made-for-television Rivalry Thursday. The coach warned his players after the game that missing just one of only three practice days this week could hurt their chances of seeing the field
“The good thing is it’s the same for them,” Ridge said. “It’s just a lot of preparation to do in three days.”
| Kickin’ it | |||
| Kicker | Games | XPM | XPA |
| Travis Sellers | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Jeremy Miller | 1 | 6 | 7 |
Regardless of Glenn’s status, Greenback seems to have at least found a kicker with the return of Miller. Going into Friday’s game, the Cherokees were 0-for-3 on extra point attempts and had yet to kick a field goal. Miller nailed 6-of-7 extra points against the Wildcats. Ridge pointed out those six points made a touchdown difference on the scoreboard.
“It’s huge,” Ridge said. “You don’t have to worry about a 2-point play, you just line up the play. You don’t have to think every time you score.”
| Thursday: Greenback (2-2, 0-1 District 3-A) at Harriman Live! at 6:30 p.m. TV: MyVLT, 7 p.m. |
———
The Cherokees left Harriman last year with a 30-22 victory, their first over the Blue Devils in school history … Ridge, in his first year as a head coach, is unbeaten in two home games with both wins coming over 3A schools. The former defensive coordinator has been outscored 58-6 in two road contests.