SMITHVILLE, TN- The Upperman Bees got their first win of the 2020 football season with a 27-21 win over the Dekalb County Tigers on Thursday night in Smithville.
The Bees were propelled by a 20-point third quarter and ran the ball effectively throughout the contest to secure the win and bounce back after a loss last week against Cookeville.
“I’m extremely proud of them,” said UHS head coach Adam Caine. “They kind walked into an ambush last Thursday. A group that maybe wasn’t quite ready for that, and then we get hit with the 2020 circumstances of playing a day earlier, and they responded. They answered the bell. That was a great team victory.”
Both offenses struggled to find a rhythm early in the contest. Upperman came close to scoring the first points of the game on a drive that was cut short by a fumble, and the Dekalb County offense struggled to move the ball against the Bee defense as the teams battled to a 0-0 score at the end of the opening quarter.
The Bees got their first points of the season midway through the second quarter when sophomore running back Terrance Dedmon took a handoff up the middle for a 42-yard touchdown. Josh Manis’ extra-point gave the Bees a 7-0 lead.
The Tigers immediately responded on the ensuing drive. Senior quarterback Axel Aldino took in a four-yard touchdown rush to tie the game at seven at halftime.
The Bees opened the second half with a momentum-changing play. Junior wide receiver Daniel Metzgar returned a kickoff for a touchdown to give the Bees a 14-7 lead.
The @UppermanBees get the win 27-21 over Dekalb County on tonight’s Game of the Week.
This kickoff return by Daniel Metzgar could prove to be a pivotal moment in the Bees’ season. pic.twitter.com/GKaFnJ10vk— Noah McKay (@NoahMcKayUCR) August 28, 2020
Caine said he could feel the momentum on the sideline.
“It was huge. You could feel it on the sideline,” said Caine. “It gave us a boost. It gave us a little bit of momentum. These kids are looking for anything to jump on, and that just gave it to us. I heard the sideline perk up.”
The Bees defense then forced a punt, and the offense took control of the game as Ty Dutchess took off on a 58-yard touchdown run. Manis’ PAT moved the Bees lead to 21-7.
The Tigers responded again with a drive capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Aldino to Desmond Nokes to cut the score to 21-14.
Dutchess took in his second touchdown of the quarter, this one from five-yards out to push the lead back to 27-14. The UHS defense then slowed down the Tiger offense until late in the fourth quarter. The Tigers added a touchdown with one second remaining in the contest, but the Bees ultimately held on to come away with the 27-21 victory.
Upperman outrushed the Tigers 308 yards to 90. Caine said he was pleased with how his young offensive line played.
“Very young against a stout defense that clogs it up in there, I was pleased,” said Caine.
Dedmon led the way on the ground with 194 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Dutchess added 103 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
The Bees effectively slowed down Dekalb County’s passing attack. Aldino completed 15 of 27 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.
Upperman (1-1) will now turn their attention towards a Region 4/3A matchup with the Smith County Owls. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday night in Carthage.
“I would hope we are confident,” said Caine. “We know the teams in our region are quality football teams, and they’re going to come and try to get us. We’ve got to go to a very tough place to play. I think I do have a group that will show up and try to scrap and try to find ways to be competitive in a football game.”
One thing is clear for the Bees from week one to week two; they have improved.
“They always say you improve the most from week one to two,” said Caine. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen as drastic an improvement by a football team. I’m very pleased.”