ONEIDA | It was a competitive game for a half, but once Tellico Plains began to create separation in the second half, there was no looking back. The Bears turned a 12-7 halftime lead into a 40-7 win over the Indians to open region play, gaining a big leg up in the battle to host a postseason game.
Oneida (2-3, 0-1) led 7-6 early, and missed an opportunity to go up 14-6. After that, Tellico Plains (2-3, 1-0) slowly began to take over the football game, tacking on four touchdowns in the second half to make the win look easier than it otherwise was.
The Bears’ offense rolled up 316 yards on the ground and finished with 394 yards. Their defense, meanwhile, limited Oneida to just 126 yards.
Caiden West had a big night for Tellico, finishing with 202 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Oneida, which remains banged up, was led by Cole Meredith’s 34 yards. Gage Duncan, one of the players who is not playing at 100%, finished with 31 yards.
Connor Mays, who missed much of the second half after reaggravating a lingering shoulder injury, completed eight of 15 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Indians were led by Waylon Hill, who finished with 13 tackles. Sophomore Tate Shepard, who has been a force on the defensive side of the football this season, left the game early to further compound Oneida’s injury woes.
Tellico Plains started the game by returning a kickoff to near midfield and then marching 55 yards in nine plays before West scored on a four-yard run to give his team an early lead.
Oneida was forced into an early three-and-out, but a Ruger West interception gave the Indians the ball back near midfield, setting up a 40-yard touchdown pass from Mays to West. Miles Laxton’s extra point gave the Indians the lead.
The Oneida defense turned in another takeaway on the ensuing possession, this time on a fumble that was forced by Thomas Burress and recovered by Shepard. But the Indians were not able to do anything with the opportunity. Later, after Oneida’s offense forced a fourth down stop, the Indians missed an opportunity to add to their lead on a dropped ball.
From there, Tellico Plains took possession with 3:06 remaining in the half and began to assert its dominance offensively, marching 85 yards in nine plays to score on a 20-yard West run.
The third quarter started with Oneida moving to the red zone before the potential go-ahead drive stalled. Tellico Plains likewise had a drive stall at the Indians’ 25-yard-line. But that was one of the last bright spots on the evening for Oneida.
A fumble recovery set up Tellico Plains at the 23-yard-line, and the Bears scored on a West run two plays later to build the lead to 20-7. Tellico, which lacks a kicking game, then recovered an onside kick and scored on another West run to make it 26-7 late in the third quarter.
Oneida, which would not see Mays return after the sack that ended its last offensive possession of the third quarter, briefly got into Tellico Plains territory on the ensuing possession, but a fumble ended the drive, and Tellico Plains turned the turnover into more points, scoring on a short run by Jasper Hamilton.
A turnover on downs gave Tellico Plains another possession at Oneida’s 41-yard-line, and the Bears put more points on the board with a 24-yard run by Gil Carter.
Oneida got to Tellico’s 23-yard-line on its final possession, but ran out of time at that point.
The Indians will next face rival Coalfield in a non-region game on Friday.
