HUNTSVILLE | For the second time in as many weeks, Scott High mounted a furious comeback effort in the fourth quarter after digging itself a hole early. But, for the second time in as many weeks, that comeback attempt fell just short, as McMinn Central escaped Highlander Stadium with a 22-17 win in region play Friday night.
Scott (2-2, 0-2) led for much of the first half after putting an early field goal on the board, and trailed by just four points at halftime. McMinn Central (3-1, 1-1) was able to build the lead in the second half, then used a late fumble recovery to hang on for the win.
The Chargers were forced to punt on their first four possessions before beginning to find open receivers in the passing game. They finished with 267 yards through the air, and piled up 378 yards of total offense.
Scott had some success in the running game, finishing with 157 yards, but saw McMinn Central turn in opportune stops at important times in the first half. The Highlanders were not able to move the football effectively through the air until the fourth quarter, when Gage Privett completed several passes to spark the comeback try.
McMinn Central quarterback Bryce Mullins completed 19 of 34 passes for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had an interception.
Scott’s Privett completed 10 of 24 passes for 140 yards, a score and a pick.
Jesse Jeffers added 76 yards on the ground, while Carter Slaven had 67 rushing yards.
An Amauren Kidd 22-yard field goal was the difference in the game for a long time, before Mullins completed a 58-yard touchdown strike to Adonis Lamb to give his team a lead it would not relinquish. That’s the way things stood at halftime, 7-3, after the Highlander defense turned in several impressive stops to prevent McMinn from adding onto its lead.
The third quarter, however, saw the Chargers score on a 56-yard run by Jamez Moss to build a 14-3 lead.
Scott finally began to claw back into the game in the fourth quarter, with Jeffers scoring on a three-yard run.
McMinn immediately answered, with Mullins connecting with William Mayfield for an 11-yard run to extend the lead to 22-10.
Again, the Highlanders marched the length of the field. This time, Privett found Houston Stanley on a 22-yard pass completion for a touchdown, and it was 22-17.
Scott then got the ball back on an interception, setting up the offense at midfield with a chance to win the football game. The Highlanders got to McMinn Central’s 42-yard-line, but turned the ball back over to the Chargers on a fumble, and McMinn Central was then able to run out the clock.
The Highlanders will step outside region play for a couple of weeks, traveling to Cumberland Gap this week.
