by Rusty Ellis
The Smith County Owls saw their season come to an end on Friday night, as a 21-point first quarter proved to be too much for the Owls to overcome in a 49-20 loss to East Robertson.
The Indians took the opening kickoff, and on a fourth-and-1 from inside the Smith County 10, Isaiah Groves took a hand-off and scampered into the endzone for an early 7-0 lead.
East Robertson added onto their lead with another Groves touchdown, this one on an 82-yard catch-and-run on third-and-11, pushing the visitors’ advantage to 14-0. The Indians finished off their hot start on the ensuing Smith County possession, as a Riley Martin passed was picked off at the Indians’ 15. On the very next play, Groves took off for an 85-yard touchdown to run the lead to 21-0.
The second quarter got off to an auspicious start for the Owls as well, as Elijah Groves picked off another Martin pass and returned it for a touchdown to make the score 28-0, and another Martin interception and return set East Robertson up inside the Smith County 10.
Groves added his fourth touchdown of the day on a nine-yard touchdown run to make the score 35-0, as the Owls took over for one last possession before the end of the first half. This one ended in points for Smith County, as Martin scampered to the pylon and scored to make the halftime deficit 35-6 after a blocked extra point.
Things began looking up to start the second half, as Smith County used a fourth-down stop on defense to set the offense up near midfield.
From there, Ethan Madewell finished off the ensuing drive with a short touchdown run to trim the lead to 35-12 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
The Owls appeared to be building momentum and were almost off the field on a third-and-long play, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave East Robertson a first down and force the Owl defense to get another stop. The Indians cashed in on the new life they’d been given, as a quarterback keeper saw ERHS extend the lead to 42-12.
East Robertson put the finishing touches on their side of the scoreboard with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and though Peyton Hix ended the game on a positive note with a 16-yard touchdown run, it wasn’t enough as the Owls fell to the Indians 49-20.
It’s the second straight quarterfinal finish for Smith County, who wraps up the season with a 10-3 overall record.
