CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After suffering their first loss of the season to Tullahoma before fall break, Montgomery Central football faced a strong squad from Marshall County Friday night, October 22.
At 6-2, the Tigers came to play spoiler on senior night in a game with huge playoff implications. The Indians entered their last two weeks hoping to avoid being seeded low enough to travel in the postseason.
The game delivered on its promise for an exciting and explosive matchup. Ultimately, the home squad emerged victorious, 22-17, behind outstanding performances by seniors Logan Sykes and Deterrian Faulk in particular.
1st Quarter
Marshall County started the game on offense, setting the stage for a physical, run-heavy game by both sides. The Tigers scored a touchdown in only 3 minutes and 20 seconds off a run by their quarterback. Unfazed, the Indians’ offense returned the favor, with Sykes punching in his first score of the night on the ground as well. Unfortunately for the hosts, the attempt at a 2-point conversion failed.
After Trey Warner notched another touchdown for the Tigers in the closing seconds of the quarter, Marshall County led 14-6.
2nd Quarter
The second quarter proved both dramatic and uneventful. Sykes ripped a 28-yard run for Montgomery Central, but on the very next play, Marshall County stripped the ball from the Indian runner near the 2 yard line.
After the Tigers recovered the ball, the home defense, combined with false starts by the offense, forced a 3rd and 10 for Marshall County. An Indian got his hand on the pass, but batted it right back into the hands of Marshall County’s quarterback, who took off for 28 yards.
Eventually the drive fizzled out and led to a punt from the Tigers. Montgomery Central positioned themselves well after a 24-yard catch by junior running back Andrew White, but turned the ball over on downs after their own pass was knocked into the dirt.
Despite all the theatrics, neither team scored, and Marshall County remained up 14-6 at the half.
3rd Quarter
After halftime, junior running back Kade Davis continued doing the dirty work as he had done all night for Montgomery Central. Davis broke through for a 20-yard run before a facemask penalty by Marshall County. Then Sykes struck once more, finding the end zone with his feet again – and again on the 2-point conversion. This drive consumed almost half of the quarter, matching the Indians’ style perfectly.
Neither team found much success in the remainder of the quarter; they went into the last period tied 14-14.
4th Quarter
Marshall County started the quarter with the ball, marching into the red zone before Central’s defense settled in and denied a touchdown. The Tigers scored a field goal instead, going up 17-14 with 10:25 remaining.
A decent return from senior Lucas Schaffer set the home team up at the 35 yard line before Sykes launched a long ball to sophomore Bo Bowers. The series culminated with White running the ball in for the Indians from 13 yards out and Sykes finding senior Zach Johnson for the 2-point conversion. The Indians led 22-17 but gave the Tigers over six minutes to work with.
Marshall County moved quickly, however, with a 30-yard pass setting them up in Central territory. But as the Tigers knocked on the door of the end zone, the home defense made another stand. Deterrian Faulk recorded his first turnover of the night for the Indians, recovering a fumble on the 1 yard line.
Yet the home team’s drive resulted in a punt, giving the visitors another opportunity. Down five with 1:05 on the clock, Marshall County found themselves in a 4th and 6 from the 33 yard line after some incomplete passes. Rather than going through the air, their quarterback ran for a 1st down, breathing new life into their sideline while an anxious silence fell over the home crowd.
Unbothered, Montgomery Central’s defense pressured the quarterback, who made an impressive scramble and a big pass down the field. The only problem was the penalty flag marking a holding call behind the line of scrimmage, which called the play back. Enforced from the spot of the foul, this set the visitors up for a 2nd and 24 with under a minute to go.
The Tigers’ final heave landed squarely in the hands of the defense as Faulk struck again, hauling in the interception to cement the victory for Montgomery Central, 22-17.
“That’s our Senior Night”
When asked about his dynamic, 2-touchdown performance on senior night, Logan Sykes said, “The performance, that’s not on me…Every single one of my brothers on that field, they were giving their all on every single play. We’ve been playing for a very long, long time together. That’s our senior night, we were emotional. We were coming out with a win, and we were fighting for a home playoff game.”
“Logan’s our leader, everybody looks up to him,” head coach Jeff Tomlinson explained. “He managed the game real well tonight, had some big runs when we needed to, had a couple of key passes to get first downs when we needed to as well.”
Tomlinson added, “Offensively, I thought we moved the ball real well. We did what we do – and that’s just ground and pound, chew up clock, and have a chance to win at the end of the game. Defensively, I told them at the end of the first quarter, ‘Settle in. You’re fine…Calm down.’ And they played lights out for the rest of the night.”
With this result, the Indians move to 8-1 (6-1). Next week they square off against region opponent Pearl-Cohn, who boast an identical record. This match will determine final 2nd/3rd seeding, who hosts, and who travels for playoffs. Sykes laid out the team’s hopes for one more home game, saying, “We gotta get past Pearl-Cohn first. We’re planning on hosting the first round, coming back on The Hill…These amazing fans…It’s just an unreal atmosphere.”
