By Michael Lindsay
Crossville saw two fan bases celebrating Friday night as Cumberland County and Stone Memorial picked up non-region football wins.
Both victories came by a 21-7 margin; Cumberland County won at Jackson County while Stone Memorial hosted Kingston.
Cumberland County
A young Jets team picked up their second win of the season Friday in Gainesboro against Jackson County.
CCHS running back Drayton Hairston led the way with 3 touchdowns and 97 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Hairston’s first touchdown came via a 5-yard run in the first quarter. The Jets led 7-0 following Jaime Perez’s extra point.
Jackson County tied the contest in the second quarter as Alex Johnson rushed in an 18-yard touchdown to knot it up at 7.
The 7-7 stalemate stood through halftime before the Jets broke through in the third period on a 27-yard Hairston touchdown rush to take a 14-7 lead.
Cumberland County tacked on an insurance score in the fourth quarter on a Hairston 21-yard rush to win 21-7.
The Jets are currently 2-7 and travel to Macon County for their Region 4-4A and regular-season finale Friday evening. Though Cumberland County hasn’t qualified for the Class 4A playoffs, the Jets are eligible to schedule an 11th regular-season game if they choose.
Stone Memorial
Senior night for the Stone Memorial Panthers included a non-region win over the Kingston Yellow Jackets, 21-7.
The AP No. 8 Panthers improved to 8-1 overall this season and have won three straight against the Yellow Jackets.
Stone Memorial quarterback Hunter Heavilon led the Panthers with another impressive performance Friday night. The senior gunslinger went 13-23 for 189 yards and a touchdown through the air while rushing for 79 yards.
Panther WR Bear Eldridge posted 104 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions while Houston Woody recorded two rushing touchdowns.
After coming up empty on their first possession, the Panthers found the end zone on their second attempt as Woody rushed in a 3-yard touchdown. Justin Barnett’s extra point gave Stone Memorial a 7-0 lead midway through the first period.
Kingston opened the second period with a 40-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7, a score that stood until halftime.
Stone Memorial retook the lead midway through the third period as Heavilon hit Eldridge for a 4-yard touchdown strike to go up 14-7.
Woody punched in a 1-yard insurance touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give the Panthers a 21-7 lead over Kingston.
The Stone Memorial defense shut out Kingston for the duration of the fourth quarter for the 21-7 victory.
The non-region win was vital for Stone Memorial’s quest for a Region 4-4A championship. Despite all the tiebreakers and different scenarios presented, Stone Memorial’s title formula is simple: win next week.
The 8-1 Panthers can lock up first place with a victory at DeKalb County via tiebreakers over Macon County. However, a Stone loss to DeKalb could send them down to 4th place and traveling for the first round of the playoffs.
More content coming this week to www.uppercumberlandreporter.com.