Catholic vs Fulton Game Notes Presented by “The General”

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CATHOLIC Irish (7-4)

at

FULTON Falcons (10-1)

November 13, 2015

Bob Black Field

7 p.m.

TSSAA Class 4A Playoffs – Second Round

 

SETTING THE SCENE – Catholic makes its 23rd appearance in the TSSAA Playoffs… this will mark the fifth time these teams have met in the playoffs…Irish were third in Region 2-4A this season…Fulton won Region 2-4A… Fulton leads the series with Catholic, 5-4…Fulton won the regular-season contest, 34-23, at Catholic… Catholic has scored more than 40 points in each of its past five games, including 50 or more in its past two…Irish offense averaging almost 385 yards per-game…Catholic has outscored opponents, 279-120, in the first half this season…Catholic has had 21 scoring drives lasting less than one minute this season….Catholic defense allowing less than 280 yards per-game…Catholic has three interception returns for touchdowns this season…Irish have scored four touchdowns on special teams…Irish have won 118 of their last 157 games…

 

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS — Rodgers and Mays named semifinalists for Mr. Football…Fortune invited to Toyota East-West All-Star game…Rodgers leads Catholic in both rushing and receiving…Rodgers has modern-era (since 2000) single-season receiving yards record with 1,308…Rodgers also has a modern-era single-season record with 19 receiving touchdowns…Rodgers has 1,818 career receiving yards… Kuerschen has 1,937 career receiving yards, tops in the modern era…Cunningham has passed for 1,925 yards and 23 touchdowns this season… Fortune tops the Irish in tackles with 131.5…Rowan has 24 tackles for-loss so far this season…

 

THE RECORDS – Catholic is 7-4 in 2015, including a 3-2 mark in Region 2-4A. The Irish won at Seymour, 50-7, last week. Fulton is 10-1 this season, including a 5-0 mark in Region 2-4A. The Falcons won at home over Cherokee, 56-0, last week.

 

SEASON RESULTS – Here’s how Catholic and Fulton fared in 2015:

Catholic (7-4)                                                 Fulton (10-1)

8/22     @Morristown East      W, 49-24         8/22     @Morristown West    W, 12-9
8/28     CPA (at Vanderbilt)   L, 10-38          8/29     @Maryville                 L, 18-49

9/4       Central                        L, 10-28          9/4       Anderson County       W, 58-14

9/11     Notre Dame                W, 35-17         9/11     @Austin-East             W, 74-21

9/18     Fulton                          L, 23-34          9/18     @Catholic                   W, 34-23

9/25     @Belfry (Ky.)             L, 14-38          9/25     @Gibbs                       W, 46-0

10/2     @Anderson County    W, 45-14         10/2     Carter                          W, 71-14

10/16   Carter                          W, 42-6           10/16   Union County             W, 73-0

10/23   Cloudland                   W, 45-23         10/23   @West                                    W, 27-13

10/30   @Union County         W, 51-0           10/30   Central                        W, 21-14

11/6     @Seymour                  W, 50-7           11/6     Cherokee                     W, 56-0

ON THE SIDELINE – Steve Matthews is in his third year at the helm of the Irish. He also serves as Catholic’s offensive coordinator. Matthews came to Catholic from Seigel High School in Murfreesboro, where he served as offensive coordinator from 2010-2012. He was head coach at Moore County in 2008 and 2009 and posted a 10-10 record. He also served as QB/WR coach at Tullahoma, his high school alma mater, from 2004-2007. His overall record is 37-20, and his record at Catholic is 27-10. The Irish have reached the TSSAA Playoffs in each of Matthews’ three seasons. His playoff record is 5-2. Matthews played collegiately at Tennessee and Memphis.

 

REGION FOES – Catholic participates in Region 2-4A. Region foes for the Irish include Anderson County, Carter, Central, Fulton, and Union County.

 

IN THE PLAYOFFS – Catholic makes its 23rd appearance in the TSSAA Playoffs. The Irish have posted a 25-21 record in the TSSAA Playoffs and won the Class AAA state championship in 2008. Catholic reached the second round of the Class 4A playoffs in 2014.

 

SERIES VS. FULTON –   Fulton leads the series with Catholic, 5-4. Here’s a look:

2005: Fulton 38, @Catholic 9 (reg. season)

2005: @Catholic 21, Fulton 20 (playoffs/second round)

2006: Catholic 27, @Fulton 14 (reg. season)

2006: Fulton 18, @Catholic 13 (playoffs/quarterfinals)

2007: @Catholic 27, Fulton 0

2008: Catholic 28, @Fulton 3

2013: @Fulton 41, Catholic 34 (playoffs/semifinals)

2014: @Fulton 51, Catholic 14 (playoffs/second round)

2015: Fulton 34, @Catholic 23

 

RACK ‘EM UP – Catholic has won 100 of its last 130 regular-season games.

 

TEAM STATS – Catholic averages 384.2 yards per-game in total offense, including 134.5 yards on the ground and 249.6 yards through the air. Defensively, Catholic allows 278.8 yards per-game, including 169.9 yards on the ground and 108.9 yards through the air. Catholic averages 34.0 points per-game. Opponents average 20.8 points per-game.

 

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS – Here are Catholic’s leaders in various individual categories:

Rushing: Amari Rodgers – 47 att., 332 yds, 2 TD

Passing: Chase Cunningham – 91-170-10, 1,925 yds, 23 TD

Receiving: Amari Rodgers – 46 rec., 1,308 yds, 19 TD

Scoring: Amari Rodgers – 150 pts.

Tackles: Augie Fortune – 131.5     Tackles for loss: Austin Rowan – 24

Sacks: Austin Rowan – 6

Interceptions: Chase Kuerschen – 5

 

 

PLAYERS OF NOTE

 

3 – Amari Rodgers (WR/RB, 5-10, 190, Jr.): 4 rec, 163 yds, 3 TD (20, 69, 55) vs. Seymour…1 rec, 18 yds (TD), 81-yard kickoff return (TD) vs. Union County… 3 rec, 94 yds, 2 TD (36, 47) vs. Cloudland…7 rec, 135 yds, 3 TD (60, 19, 6), 55 yd punt ret for TD vs. Carter…3 rec, 86 yds, 2 TD (71, 12), 4 att, 35 yds, 38 yd int ret for TD vs. Anderson County…9 rec, 225 yds, 1 TD (83), 13 tackles vs. Belfry…4 rec, 92 yds, 3 TD (31, 28, 18), 6 tackles, 1 PBU vs. Fulton…3 rec, 218 yds, 3 TD (51, 74, 93), 8 att, 112 yds, 93 yd punt ret., 4 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Notre Dame…4 rec, 72 yds vs. Central…3 rec, 90 yds, 1 TD (58); 11 att, 41 yds vs. CPA…7 att, 107 yds,  2 TD (61,19); 5 rec, 115 yds vs. Morristown East…

 

4 – Jeffery Wood (RB, 5-9, 160, Jr.): 6 att, 96 yds, 2 rec, 24 yds vs. Seymour…13 att, 31 yds, 2 rec, 24 yds, 2 PBU, 1 INT vs. Notre Dame…9 att, 26 yds, 3 rec, 55 yds vs. Central…16 att, 99 yds, 4 rec, 40 yds vs. CPA…4 rec, 88 yds, 1 TD (70) vs. Morristown East…

 

5 Hunter Kountz (RB/DB, 5-11, 195, Jr.): 4 att, 18 yds, 1 TD (3), 4 rec, 39 yds vs. Carter…6 att, 55 yds, 1 TD (9), 3 rec, 55 yds, 3 tackles vs. Anderson County…2 rec, 40 yds, 1 TD (33) vs. Belfry…5 att, 28 yds vs. Morristown East…

 

10 – Jack Sompayrac (QB/DB, 5-11, 155, So.): 14-23-1, 204 yds, 1 TD (33), 8 tackles, 1 INT vs. Central…7-10-0, 138 yds, 1 TD (58) vs. CPA…23-yd TD run, 6 tackles, 1 INT vs. Morristown East…

 

16 – Chase Cunningham (QB, 5-8, 140, Jr.): 7-11-0, 238 yds, 4 TD (20, 69, 51, 55), 2 att, 33 yds vs. Seymour…6-6-0, 183 yds, 3 TD (36, 56, 47) vs. Cloudland…18-27-1, 254 yds, 4 TD (60, 7, 19, 6) vs. Carter…12-26-0, 201 yds, 3 TD (11, 71, 12) vs. Anderson County…19-33-2, 336 yds, 2 TD (33, 83) vs. Belfry…15-41-3, 322 yds, 3 TD (31, 28, 18) vs. Fulton…6-10-2, 269 yds, 3 TD (51, 74, 93) vs. Notre Dame…

 

21 – Tony Scott (LB, 6-2, 195, Jr.): 8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack vs. Seymour…4.5 tackles, 1 INT vs. Carter…9 tackles vs. Notre Dame…5 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Central…7 tackles, 3 TFL vs. CPA…8 tackles, 3 TFL vs. Morristown East…

 

22 – Joe Fluker (LB, 5-9, 175, So.): 6 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Seymour…47-yard TD rush, 7 tackles, 5 TFL vs. Union County…29-yard TD rush vs. Cloudland…6 tackles, 1 TFL vs. CPA…14 tackles, 1 sack vs. Morristown East…

 

33 – Augie Fortune (RB/LB, 6-0, 200, Sr.): 9 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FC vs. Seymour…7 tackles, 5 TFL vs. Union County…6 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Cloudland…9.5 tackles, 1 FR vs. Carter…9 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FR vs. Anderson County…16 tackles vs. Belfry…20 tackles, 6 TFL vs. Fulton…22 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 rec, 27 yds vs. Notre Dame…3 rec, 58 yds, 1 TD (33), 12 tackles vs. Central…9 tackles, 2 TFL, vs CPA…12 tackles, vs. Morristown East…

 

36 Chase Kuerschen (WR/DB, 6-1, 190, Jr.): 51-yard TD rec, 52-yard TD punt return, 6 tackles, 1 INT vs. Seymour…2 INT returns for TDs (21, 18) vs. Union County…2 rec, 75 yds, 1 TD (56) vs. Cloudland…5 rec, 65 yds, 1 TD (7), 3 tackles vs. Carter…4 rec, 51 yds, 1 TD (11), 3 att, 39 yds, 1 TD (9), 1 INT vs. Anderson County…3 rec, 42 yds, 5 tackles vs. Belfry…10 rec, 200 yds, 7 tackles, 1 INT vs. Fulton…missed first four games because of injury…

 

48 – Morgan Ernst (DB, 5-11, 175, So.): 8 tackles vs. Seymour…4 att, 21 yds, 1 TD (5), 4 tackles vs. Cloudland…8 tackles, 1 FC vs. Carter…10 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Anderson County…7 att, 23 yds, 8 tackles vs. Belfry…9 att, 56 yds, 12 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Fulton…11 tackles, 2 PBU vs. Notre Dame…8 tackles vs. Central…11 tackles, 1 TFL vs. CPA…8 tackles, 3 PBU vs. Morristown East…

 

57 – Austin Rowan (DL, 6-0, 245, Sr.): 8.5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.5 sacks vs. Seymour…6 tackles, 5 TFL vs. Union County…6 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Cloudland…9 tackles, 2 sacks vs. Carter…10 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU vs. Anderson County…16 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Belfry…8 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Fulton…11 tackles, 3 TFL vs. Notre Dame…5 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Central…6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 blocked kick vs. CPA…12.5 tackles, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks vs. Morristown East…

 

TENNESSEE TITANS MR. FOOTBALL – Amari Rodgers (back) and Cade Mays (lineman) were named semifinalists for 2015 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football in Class 4A. The finalists will be announced November 16 and the winners November 30. Here’s a look at previous Mr. Football winners from Catholic:

1999 – Rob Demastus (Back)

2003 – Jeremy Bentley (Lineman)

2005 – Nick McFadden (Back)

2006 – Harrison Smith (Back)

2008 – Daniel Hood (Lineman)

2010 – Kyler Kerbyson (Lineman)

 

TOYOTA EAST-WEST ALL-STAR CLASSIC – Linebacker Augie Fortune has been invited to participate in the 2015 Toyota East-West Tennessee All-Star Classic. The game is scheduled for December 11 at Tennessee Tech.

 

OPPONENTS IN THE PLAYOFFS – Seven Catholic opponents from this season made the TSSAA playoff field. Here’s a look:

Opponent (record)                Class   This week

Cloudland (6-5)                      1A       Season complete

CPA (10-1)                             3A       vs. Stratford

Notre Dame (8-3)                    3A       at Upperman

Fulton (10-1)                           4A       vs. Catholic

Central (9-2)                            4A       at Greeneville

Carter (4-7)                             4A       Season complete

Morristown East (3-8)             5A       Season complete

 

REGION 2-4A STANDINGS – Here’s a look at the 2015 Region 2-4A standings:

DISTRICT    OVERALL

Fulton                          5-0                   10-1

Central                        4-1                   9-2

Catholic                      3-2                   7-4

Carter                          2-3                   4-7

Anderson County       1-4                   3-7

Union County             0-5                   0-10

 

Last week’s results

Catholic 50, Seymour 7

Fulton 56, Cherokee 0

Central 53, Sullivan East 7

Greeneville 24, Carter 0

 

Friday’s games

Catholic @ Fulton

Central @ Greeneville

 

 

WEEK TWELVE – Catholic opened play in the 2015 TSSAA Class 4A Playoffs with a 50-7 win at Seymour. The Irish scored on their opening possession as Chase Cunningham passed 20 yards to Amari Rodgers. Joshua Brown (36) and Hunter Kountz (5) added first-quarter rushing touchdowns. Two more Cunningham-to-Rodgers strikes (69 and 55 yards), sandwiched around a 51-yard Cunningham connection with Chase Kuerschen, had the Irish ahead, 42-0. Kuerschen had a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the first half to move the Irish ahead at the break, 48-0. The Irish defense recorded a safety, its third of the season, early in the third quarter. Seymour averted the shutout by scoring a touchdown with 25 seconds remaining in the contest. Cunningham was 7-of-11 passing for 238 yards and four touchdowns. Rodgers had four receptions for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Jeffery Wood led Catholic’s ground game, which saw 13 players earn carries, with 96 yards on six carries. Augie Fortune led the Irish defense with nine tackles, including two tackles for-loss and a sack. Austin Rowan had 8.5 tackles, including one for-loss and 1.5 sacks. Tony Scott and Morgan Ernst each added eight stops for the Irish. Kuerschen added an interception, his fifth of the season.

 

WEEK ELEVEN – Catholic concluded its regular-season with a 51-0 win at region opponent Union County. Amari Rodgers got the scoring ball rolling immediately, as he returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. Rodgers found the end zone on Catholic’s next possession, grabbing an 18-yard pass from Chase Cunningham. Back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns (21 and 18 yards) from Chase Kuerschen moved the margin to 28-0 midway through the first quarter. After the Catholic defense recorded a safety, Cade Mays moved from the offensive line into the backfield and scored from six yards. Joshua Brown (two yards) and Joe Fluker (47 yards) added scoring runs in the second quarter. Brown had 55 yards rushing on the evening, (cont’d) as Catholic ran just 23 offensive plays. The Irish defense was stellar, limiting Union County to (-51) rushing yards, (-44) total yards, and zero first downs. Fluker and Augie Fortune each had seven tackles, including five for losses. Austin Rowan had six stops, including five for losses. Jones Albritton had five tackles, including a sack, and both caused and recovered a fumble. In addition to Kuerschen’s interceptions, Gabriel Hosford and Jack Staley also had picks for the Irish.

 

WEEK TEN – Catholic celebrated Homecoming and Senior Night with a 45-23 win over Cloudland. Chase Cunningham passed 56 yards to Amari Rodgers on Catholic’s third play from scrimmage to open the scoring. Less than two minutes later Hunter Kountz went in from three yards to up the margin to 14-0. Cunningham connected with Chase Kuerschen on a 56-yarder later in the quarter, and a 47-yard Cunningham-to-Rodgers strike made the score 28-0 after one quarter. A 23-yard field goal by Jake Poczobut opened the second-quarter scoring, followed soon thereafter by a 29-yard scoring run by Joe Fluker. A five-yard run by Morgan Ernst late in the quarter ended Catholic’s scoring for the evening. Catholic saw 15 different players earn rushing attempts as the Irish averaged 6.7 yards per-carry. Cunningham was 6-of-6 passing for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Beau Hollin, Jake Kyle, and Joseph Healy all had seven tackles for the Irish defense.

 

WEEK NINE – Catholic evened its record at 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Region 2-4A with its 42-6 home win over Carter. The scoring began quickly for the Irish, as Chase Cunningham passed 60 yards to Amari Rodgers on Catholic’s second play from scrimmage. Cunningham passed seven yards to Chase Kuerschen to make the margin 14-0 late in the first quarter. A three-yard run from Hunter Kountz midway through the second quarter upped the score to 21-0. Following a Carter touchdown, Cunningham connected two more times (19 and six yards) with Rodgers before halftime to move the Irish ahead at the break, 35-6. A 55-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter by Rodgers, his second punt return for a score this year, provided the final scoring of the evening. Cunningham was 19-of-27 passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns. Rodgers had seven receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns. Kuerschen added five catches for 65 yards and a score. Joshua Brown led the Irish rushing attack with 54 yards on seven carries. Catholic’s defense allowed season-lows in first downs (9), rushing yards (77), plays (42), and total offense (157). Catholic posted a season-high seven sacks on the night. Augie Fortune had 9.5 tackles and recovered a fumble. Austin Rowan had nine tackles, including two sacks. Jones Albritton had eight tackles, including two sacks, and two caused fumbles. Morgan Ernst had eight tackles and also caused a fumble. Tony Scott and DJ Mitchell had interceptions for the Irish.

 

WEEK EIGHT – Catholic enjoyed an open date.

 

WEEK SEVEN – Catholic collected its first Region 2-4A win of the season with its 45-14 win at Anderson County. Jake Poczobut got the Irish on the board midway through the first quarter with his 28-yard field goal. Catholic dented the scoreboard again just before the end of the period when Chase Cunningham connected with Chase Kuerschen on an 11-yard scoring pass. Amari Rodgers was next in line to (cont’d)

score for the Irish, grabbing a Cunningham pass and racing 71 yards to paydirt, making the margin 17-0. Hunter Kountz had a nine-yard scoring dash three minutes later to move the score to 24-0. Following an Anderson County score, Rodgers found the end zone again just before halftime, intercepting a pass and returning it 38 yards for a score. The Irish led at the break, 31-7. A nine-yard run from Kuerschen upped the margin to 38-7. Then, 12 seconds later, Rodgers hauled in a 12-yard pass from Cunningham to make the score 45-7. A late Anderson County touchdown provided the game’s final scoring. Cunningham was 12-of-26 passing for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Kuerschen had four receptions for 51 yards, while Kountz (55 yards) and Rodgers (86 yards) each had three grabs. Kountz also led the Irish rushing attack with 55 yards on six carries. Austin Rowan had ten tackles, including three for-loss and a sack, to lead Catholic’s defense. Rowan also had a pass breakup. Morgan Ernst also had ten stops for the Irish, including one for-loss. Rodgers and Kuerschen had interceptions.

 

WEEK SIX – Catholic made its’ first-ever visit to Belfry (Ky.), and came away on the losing end of a 38-14 score. Chase Cunningham had a pair of touchdown passes for the Irish, connecting with Hunter Kountz (33 yards) in the second quarter and Amari Rodgers (83 yards) in the final stanza. Cunningham finished 19-33-2 passing for 336 yards on the evening. Rodgers had nine grabs for 225 yards to lead the Irish receiving corps. Austin Rowan and Augie Fortune had 16 tackles each to lead the Catholic defense. Rodgers had 13 stops, while Jake Kyle had 12 tackles. Kyle also had a caused fumble and a fumble recovery.

 

WEEK FIVE – Catholic concluded a three-game homestand with its 34-23 loss to Region 2-4A foe Fulton. After spotting Fulton a 14-0 lead, the Irish got on the board late in the first quarter when Chase Cunningham connected with Amari Rodgers on a 31-yard scoring pass. A 25-yard field goal from Jake Poczobut cut the margin to 14- 10, then Cunningham again connected with Rodgers, this a 18-yarder, to give Catholic a 17-14 lead. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Fulton regained the lead less than a minute later. Fulton added another touchdown late in the third quarter to up its margin to 28-17. A third Cunningham-to-Rodgers strike, covering 18 yards, left Catholic trailing, 28-23 late in the contest. After holding Fulton on downs, the Irish had one last opportunity, but Cunningham’s pass on the last play of the game was intercepted and returned 68 yards for a touchdown. Cunningham was 15-of-41 passing for 322 yards and three touchdowns. Chase Kuerschen, playing his first game of the season, grabbed 10 balls for 200 yards. Rodgers had four grabs for 92 yards and three touchdowns. Morgan Ernst led the Irish rushing effort with 56 yards on nine carries. Augie Fortune had 20 tackles for Catholic, including six for-loss. Ernst had 12 stops, while Kuerschen had seven tackles and an interception.

 

WEEK FOUR – Catholic evened its 2015 record at 2-2 as it defeated Notre Dame, 35-17, in the third-annual “Irish Bowl.” Amari Rodgers led the way for the Irish as he totaled 428 all-purpose yards on the evening. A 51-yard scoring pass from Chase Cunningham to Rodgers on Catholic’s first possession gave the Irish an early 7-0 lead. A 93-yard Rodgers punt return for a touchdown upped Catholic’s lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter. Following a lightning delay that lasted almost (cont’d)

two hours, play resumed with 5:54 remaining in the first quarter. A Notre Dame field goal and touchdown left Catholic ahead at halftime, 14-10. Notre Dame took the lead, 17-14, midway through the third quarter, but Catholic regained the advantage later in the period when Cunningham and Rodgers connected on a 74-yard scoring pass. A 93-yard Cunningham-to-Rodgers score upped Catholic’s lead to 28-17 early in the final stanza. Cunningham added a three-yard touchdown run later in the quarter for the final score of the evening. For the night, Rodgers had three receptions for 218 yards and three touchdowns, eight carries for 112 yards, and two punt returns for 98 yards and a touchdown. Cunningham was 6-of-10 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Augie Fourtune led the Catholic defense with 22 tackles. Austin Rowan had 11 tackles, including three for-loss, while Morgan Ernst also had 11 tackles and two pass break-ups.

 

WEEK THREE – Catholic saw its record drop to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in Region 2-4A with its 28-10 home loss to Central. After spotting Central a 7-0 lead after one quarter, the Irish evened the score late in the first half. Augie Fortune took a Jack Sompayrac pass and rambled 33 yards to even the score. A 31-yard field goal from Jake Poczobut as time expired in the second quarter gave the Irish a 10-7 lead at halftime. The Bobcats scored three touchdowns in the second half to account for the final margin. Sompayrac was 14-of-23 passing for 204 yards on the evening. Amari Rodgers had four receptions for 72 yards, while Cameron Blakely also had four grabs for 45 yards. Fortune had three grabs for 58 yards, with Jeffery Wood adding three receptions for 55 yards. Fortune led the Irish defense with 12 tackles, including one in the backfield. Sompayrac and Morgan Ernst had eight tackles each. Sompayrac also grabbed his second interception of the season.

 

WEEK TWO – Catholic suffered its first loss of the season as it dropped a 38-10 decision to CPA. The contest was played at Vanderbilt University. A 58-yard pass from Jack Sompayrac to Amari Rodgers provided the only offensive scoring for the Irish. Catholic also gained two points when a CPA snap sailed out of the end zone for a safety. Catholic actually outgained CPA in total yardage, 390-382, but could not overcome four turnovers. Jeffery Wood led the Irish rushing attack with 99 yards on 16 carries. Wood also had four receptions for 40 yards. Sompayrac was 7-of-10 passing for 138 yards and a touchdown. Rodgers had 90 yards and a touchdown on three grabs. Jake Kyle also had three receptions for 60 yards. Morgan Ernst led the Irish defense with 11 tackles. Augie Fortune added nine stops, including two in the backfield. Tony Scott had seven tackles, including three for-loss.

 

WEEK ONE – Catholic opened its 2015 season with a 49-24 win at Morristown East. After spotting East an early 7-0 lead, the Irish tied the game when Cooper Edenfield connected with Jeffery Wood on a 70-yard scoring toss. The Irish took the lead for good when Edenfield passed 83 yards to DJ Mitchell in the second quarter. Edenfield added a one-yard scoring run late in the first half. An East field goal as the half ended left the score 21-10 at the break. Amari Rodgers dashed 61 yards to paydirt early in the third quarter and, on East’s ensuing possession, Mitchell scooped a fumble and raced 40 yards into the end zone to make the tally 35-10. A pair of East scores trimmed the (cont’d) margin to 35-24 before Rodgers scooted 19 yards untouched to give the Irish a 42-24 advantage. A 23-yard run from Jack Sompayrac ended the days’ scoring. Edenfield was 11-of-17 passing for 361 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Rodgers carried seven times for 107 yards and had five receptions for 115 yards. He also had a 34-yard kickoff return, giving him 256 all-purpose yards for the game. Wood had four receptions for 88 yards, while Mitchell had two grabs for 158 yards. The Irish had 575 yards in total offense on the day. Joe Fluker led the Irish defense with 14 tackles, including a sack. Austin Rowan had 12.5 tackles, including four for-loss, and 1.5 sacks. Augie Fortune also had a dozen stops for the Irish. Mitchell and Nick Lovely had fumble recoveries, while Sompayrac grabbed an interception.

 

MAKE IT QUICK – Catholic’s offense has had 21 scoring drives lasting less than one minute this season. Seven of those drives were of the one-play variety.

 

TURNOVER MARGIN – Catholic is minus-3 in turnover margin this season. The Irish have thrown 16 interceptions and lost 11 fumbles. Opponents have thrown 13 interceptions and lost 11 fumbles.

 

REALLY SPECIAL  – Catholic has scored four touchdowns this season on special teams. Amari Rodgers has two punt returns and one kickoff return for a touchdown, while Chase Kuerschen has a punt return for a score.

 

SAFETY FIRST – Catholic’s defense has recorded three safeties this season.

 

THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS – Kicker Jake Poczobut is 37-of-39 on extra-point attempts and 4-of-6 on field goal attempts this season.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Catholic has had players nominated as PrepXtra Player of the Week three times this season. Here’s a look

PLAYER                   OPPONENT              STATS

Amari Rodgers            Morristown East         7 att, 107 yds, 2TD; 5 rec, 115 yds

Amari Rodgers            Notre Dame                8 att, 112 yds; 3 rec, 218 yds 3 TD (winner)

Chase Cunningham     Carter                          18-27-1, 254 yds, 4 TD

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Catholic has had players nominated as WVLT/Varsity All Access Player of the Week three times this season. Here’s a look:

PLAYER                   OPPONENT              STATS

Amari Rodgers            Morristown East         7 att, 107 yds, 2TD; 5 rec, 115 yds

Amari Rodgers            Notre Dame                8 att, 112 yds; 3 rec, 218 yds, 3 TD

Austin Rowan             Anderson County       10 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU (winner)

 

100-YARD RUSHERS – Catholic has had two 100-yard rushing efforts in 2015. Here’s a look:

PLAYER                   OPPONENT              ATT-YDS-TD

Amari Rodgers            Morristown East         7-107-2

Amari Rodgers            Notre Dame                8-112-0

CENTURY MARK – Catholic has had seven 100-yard receiving performances this season. Here’s a look:

Player                         Opponent                   Rec-Yds-TD

DJ Mitchell                 Morristown East         2-158-1

Amari Rodgers            Morristown East         5-115-0

Amari Rodgers            Notre Dame                3-218-3

Chase Kuerschen        Fulton                          10-200-0

Amari Rodgers            Belfry                          9-225-1

Amari Rodgers            Carter                          7-135-3

Amari Rodgers            Seymour                      4-163-3

 

250-YARDS PASSING – Catholic has had five 250-yard passing game this season. Here’s a look:

Player                         Opponent                   Statistics

Cooper Edenfield       Morristown East         11-17-2, 361 yds, 2 TD

Chase Cunningham     Notre Dame                6-10-2, 269 yds, 3 TD

Chase Cunningham     Fulton                          15-41-3, 322 yds, 3 TD

Chase Cunningham     Belfry                          19-33-2, 336 yds, 2 TD

Chase Cunningham     Carter                          18-27-1, 254 yds, 4 TD

 

DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLES – Catholic has had 16 double-digit tackle efforts this season. Here’s a look:

Player                         Opponent                   Tackles

Joe Fluker                    Morristown East         14

Austin Rowan             Morristown East         12.5

Augie Fortune             Morristown East         12

Morgan Ernst              CPA                            11

Augie Fortune             Central                        12

Augie Fortune             Notre Dame                22

Morgan Ernst              Notre Dame                11

Austin Rowan             Notre Dame                11

Augie Fortune             Fulton                          20

Morgan Ernst              Fulton                          12

Austin Rowan             Belfry                          16

Augie Fortune             Belfry                          16

Amari Rodgers            Belfry                          13

Jake Kyle                    Belfry                          12

Austin Rowan             Anderson County       10

Morgan Ernst              Anderson County       10

 

THE LAST GO ‘ROUND – Catholic’s 2015 roster includes 10 seniors. Included are Jake Kyle (WR/DB), Jack Staley (WR/DB), Augie Fortune (RB/LB), James Orler (RB/LB), Jones Albritton (WR/LB), Payne McNutt (OL/DL), Will Mullally (OL/DL), Austin Rowan (OL/DL), Logan Punch (OL/DL), and Jake Poczobut (P/K).

 

ON THE STAFF – Serving as assistant coaches for the Irish are: Les Greer (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers), Justin Anderson (Offensive Line), Sam Brown (Running Backs), Drew Franklin (Wide Receivers), Marcus McDonald (Defensive Line), Daniel Hood (Outside Linebackers), and Kris White (Defensive Backs).

 

ON THE RADIO – Tonight’s game is being broadcast on WNML, The Sports Animal (99.1 FM). John Wilkerson handles play-by-play, while former Catholic quarterback and 1999 Mr. Football winner Rob Demastus adds commentary.

 

ON TV – Tonight’s game is the Volunteer Pharmacy Playoff Friday broadcast on MyVLT-TV. Mark Packer calls the action, with analysis from Austin Price. Jesse Smithey adds sideline commentary.

 

UP NEXT – Should Catholic win tonight it would face the winner of the Central-Greeneville game in quarterfinal-round action next Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Categories: Game Notes