Catholic vs Pearl-Cohn Game Notes Presented By “The General”
CATHOLIC Irish (10-4)
vs.
PEARL-COHN Firebirds (10-4)
TSSAA Class 4A Playoffs – Championship Game
December 5, 2015
Tennessee Tech University
Tucker Stadium/Overall Field
4 p.m. (Eastern)
SETTING THE SCENE – Catholic makes its 23rd appearance in the TSSAA Playoffs…Irish play for a state title for the third time in the 2000’s (2003, 2008)… Catholic won Class 3A championship in 2008…Catholic has an 8-2 record in the playoffs under coach Matthews…Irish have three consecutive ten-win seasons…Irish offense averaging 380.6 yards per-game… Catholic has outscored opponents, 367-174, in the first half…Catholic has scored 40 or more points seven times …Catholic has had 28 scoring drives lasting less than one minute this season….Irish defense has forced nine turnovers during the playoffs…Irish have won 121 of their last 160 games…
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS — Rodgers named Mr. Football…Mays was Mr. Football finalist…Fortune invited to Toyota East-West All-Star game… Rodgers has modern-era (since 2000) single-season receiving yards record with 1,524…Rodgers also has a modern-era single-season record with 22 receiving touchdowns…Rodgers has 2,034 career receiving yards…Wood leads Catholic in rushing… Kuerschen has 2,224 career receiving yards, tops in the modern era…Cunningham has passed for 2,556 yards and 30 touchdowns this season… both are modern-era single-season records…Fortune leads in tackles with 174.5… Rowan has 32 tackles for-loss…Albritton and Rowan have 8.5 sacks…Kuerschen has an interception in all four playoff games…
SEASON RESULTS – Here’s how Catholic and Pearl-Cohn have fared in 2015:
Catholic (10-4) Pearl-Cohn (10-4)
8/22 @Morristown East W, 49-24 8/22 Hillsboro L, 28-41
8/28 CPA (at Vanderbilt) L, 10-38 8/28 @MBA L, 25-34
9/4 Central L, 10-28 9/4 Macon County W, 55-0
9/11 Notre Dame W, 35-17 9/11 @CPA L, 26-34
9/18 Fulton L, 23-34 9/18 Portland W, 54-0
9/25 @Belfry (Ky.) L, 14-38 9/25 @Muscle Shoals (AL) L, 20-49
10/2 @Anderson County W, 45-14 10/2 @Maplewood W, 28-14
10/16 Carter W, 42-6 10/16 @White House W, 41-3
10/23 Cloudland W, 45-23 10/23 @Tullahoma W, 48-3
10/30 @Union County W, 51-0 10/30 Springfield W, 46-7
11/6 @Seymour W, 50-7 11/6 Montgomery Central W, 40-0
11/13 @Fulton W, 28-25 11/13 Lipscomb Academy W, 28-17
11/20 @Greeneville W, 35-21 11/20 Springfield W, 33-3
11/27 Marshall County W, 54-35 11/27 Memphis East W, 27-14
12/5 Pearl-Cohn 12/5 Catholic
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 40-20, and his record at Catholic is 30-10. The Irish have reached the TSSAA Playoffs in each of Matthews’ three seasons. His playoff record is 8-2. 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 28-21 record in the TSSAA Playoffs and won the Class AAA state championship in 2008, defeating Memphis Mitchell, 28-18. The Irish also played in the 2003 championship game, losing to BGA, 24-19.
TEAM STATS – Catholic averages 380.6 yards per-game in total offense, including 138.5 yards on the ground and 242.1 yards through the air. Defensively, Catholic allows 310.5 yards per-game, including 170.1 yards on the ground and 140.4 yards through the air. Catholic averages 35.1 points per-game. Opponents average 22.1 points per-game.
TEAM STATS (Playoffs) – Catholic averages 395.8 yards per-game in total offense, including 175.3 yards on the ground and 220.5 through the air. Defensively, Catholic allows 357.8 yards per-game, including 143.0 yards on the ground and 214.8 yards through the air. Catholic averages 41.8 points per-game. Opponents average 22.0 points per-game.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS – Here are Catholic’s leaders in various individual categories:
Rushing: Jeffery Wood – 88 att., 473 yds, 2 TD
Passing: Chase Cunningham – 131-248-12, 2,556 yds, 30 TD
Receiving: Amari Rodgers – 58 rec., 1,524 yds, 22 TD
Scoring: Amari Rodgers – 174 pts (29 TD)
Tackles: Augie Fortune – 174.5 Tackles for loss: Austin Rowan – 32
Sacks: Jones Albritton, Austin Rowan – 8.5
Interceptions: Chase Kuerschen – 8
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS (Playoffs) – Here are Catholic’s leaders in various individual categories:
Rushing: Jeffery Wood – 43 att, 309 yds, 2 TD
Passing: Chase Cunningham – 47-89-2, 786 yds, 11 TD
Receiving: Chase Kuerschen – 17 rec, 338 yds, 5 TD
Scoring: Chase Kuerschen, Amari Rodgers – 42 pts (7 TD)
Tackles: Augie Fortune – 52 Tackles for loss: Augie Fortune – 11
Sacks: Austin Rowan – 4 Interceptions: Chase Kuerschen – 4
PLAYERS OF NOTE
3 – Amari Rodgers (WR/RB, 5-10, 190, Jr.): 7 rec, 61 yds, 2 TD (27, 8), 2 PR, 69 yds, 3 tackles vs. Marshall County…5 att, 73 yds, 1 TD (14), 2 rec, 52 yds, 4 tackles vs. Greeneville…3 rec, 103 yds, 1 TD (86), 5 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Fulton (P)…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.): 10 att, 51 yds, 1 TD (10), 7.5 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Marshall County…17 att, 119 yds, 1 TD (18), 3 rec, 27 yds, 4 tackles, 1 INT vs. Greeneville…10 att, 43 yds, 5 tackles vs. Fulton (P)…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.): 2 rec, 35 yds vs. Marshall County…4 att, 8 yds, 2 TD (1, 2) 1 rec, 20 yds vs. Greeneville…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.): 8 tackles vs. Marshall County…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.): 17-26-1, 242 yds, 4 TD (58, 27, 8, 6), 6 att, 25 yds, 2 TD (1, 1) vs. Marshall County…13-25-0, 206 yds, 1 TD (9), 5 att, 18 yds vs. Greeneville…10-27-1, 183 yds, 2 TD (86, 32) vs. Fulton (P)…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.): 11 tackles, 3 TFL vs. Marshall County…5.5 tackles, 1 TFL, 0.5 sack vs. Fulton (P)…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. Marshall County…5 tackles vs. Fulton (P)…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.): 16 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack vs. Marshall County…15 tackles, 4 TFL vs. Greeneville…17 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 blocked punt vs. Fulton (P)…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.): 6 rec, 126 yds, 2 TD (58, 6), 11 tackles, 1 INT (45/TD) vs. Marshall County…7 rec, 107 yds, 1 TD (9), 10 tackles, 1 INT vs. Greeneville…3 rec, 54 yds, 1 TD (32), 4 tackles, 1 INT (50-yard return), 2 KO returns, 67 yds (long 51) vs. Fulton (P)… 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…
44 Jones Albritton (LB, 6-1, 185, Sr.): 7.5 tackles, 2 TFL, 1.5 sacks vs. Marshall County…12 tackles, 3 TFL vs. Greeneville…7.5 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FC vs. Fulton (P)…7.5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 FC vs. Seymour…5 tackles, 1 sack, FC, FR vs. Union County…8 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 FC vs. Carter…7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack vs. Anderson County…5 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Belfry…7 tackles, 3 TFL vs. Fulton…7 tackles vs. Notre Dame…5 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Central…4 tackles, 1 PBU vs. CPA…8 tackles, 2 TFL vs. Morristown East…
48 – Morgan Ernst (DB, 5-11, 175, So.): 13 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Marshall County…15 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Greeneville…14 tackles, 1 TFL vs. Fulton (P)…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, 5 TFL vs. Marshall County…14 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack vs. Greeneville…8 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack vs. Fulton (P)…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) was named 2015 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football in Class 4A, while Cade Mays (lineman) was a finalist. Here’s a look at 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)
2015 – Amari Rodgers (Back)
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 (13-1) 3A vs. Alcoa
Notre Dame (10-4) 3A Season complete
Fulton (10-2) 4A Season complete
Central (9-3) 4A Season complete
Carter (4-7) 4A Season complete
Morristown East (3-8) 5A Season complete
RACK ‘EM UP – Catholic has won 100 of its last 130 regular-season games.
REGION 2-4A STANDINGS – Here’s a look at the 2015 Region 2-4A standings:
DISTRICT OVERALL
Fulton 5-0 10-2
Central 4-1 9-3
Catholic 3-2 10-4
Carter 2-3 4-7
Anderson County 1-4 3-7
Union County 0-5 0-10
Last week’s result
Catholic 54, Marshall County 35
Saturday’s game
Catholic vs. Pearl-Cohn
WEEK FIFTEEN – Catholic made its only home playoff game a successful one with its 54-35 win over Marshall County. The victory also provided the Irish with their third-consecutive ten-win season. Continuing its trend of late, Catholic scored on its first possession. Chase Cunningham passed 58 yards to Chase Kuerschen to give the Irish an early 7-0 lead. Cunningham’s one-yard run late in the quarter gave the Irish a 14-0 advantage after one stanza. Another Cunningham one-yard run upped the lead to 21-0 early in the second quarter. Following a Marshall County score, Cunningham connected with Amari Rodgers on a 27-yard scoring pass to push the score to 28-7. Marshall County then put two touchdowns on the board to cut the margin to 28-21. An eight-yard Cunningham-to-Rodgers pass, followed by a 45-yard interception return for a score by Kuerschen, gave the Irish a 41-21 halftime lead. Jeffery Wood, who rushed 10 times for 51 yards on the evening, scored from ten yards early in the third quarter to move the lead to 48-21. A second Cunningham-to-Kuerschen pass, this a six-yarder, gave Catholic a 54-21 advantage. Marshall County scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to account for the final margin. Cunningham was 17-of-26 for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Kuerschen had six grabs for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers had seven receptions for 61 yards and two scores. Joshua Brown topped Catholic’s rushing attack with 64 yards on 13 carries. Augie Fortune led Catholic in tackles with 16. Morgan Ernst had 13 stops, while Kuerschen and Tony Scott added 11 tackles each. Austin Rowan had 8.5 tackles, including five for-loss.
WEEK FOURTEEN – Catholic went on the road for the third consecutive week and came away with a 35-21 win at Greeneville in the quarterfinal round of the TSSAA Class 4A Playoffs. After spotting the Greene Devils a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter, the Irish drove 80 yards on seven plays on the ensuing possession. Hunter Kountz went in from one yard to knot the score. Kountz found the end zone again, from two yards, early in the second period to give Catholic a 14-7 advantage. Greeneville evened the score with 1:34 remaining before halftime, but the Irish weren’t ready to head to the locker room. Catholic drove 80 yards in 31 seconds, with Jeffery Wood dashing into the end zone from 18 yards, and led at the half, 21-14. Greeneville again tied the contest late in the third quarter, and the teams headed to the final stanza tied at 21-21. Amari Rodgers gave Catholic the lead for good with his 14-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter. Chase Cunningham passed nine yards to Chase Kuerschen midway through the period to up Catholic’s margin to 35-21. Kuerschen set up his own touchdown, intercepting a Greene Devils pass at the Greeneville eight-yard line. Catholic garnered 426 yards in total offense on the evening. Wood rushed 17 times for 119 yards (both Catholic season-high’s), while Kuerschen had seven receptions for 107 yards. Rodgers had five rushes for 73 yards and two receptions for 52 yards. Cunningham was 13-of-25 passing for 206 yards. Morgan Ernst led Catholic’s defense with 15 tackles, while Austin Rowan had 14 stops. Jones Albritton had 12 tackles, including three for-loss. Augie Fortune had ten tackles, including four for-loss. Kuerschen and Jake Kyle also had ten stops for the Irish.
WEEK THIRTEEN – Catholic won at region foe Fulton, 28-25, in the second round of the TSSAA Class 4A Playoffs. Bolstered by a 51-yard return from Chase Kuerschen on the opening kickoff, the Irish moved 24 yards in three plays. Joshua Brown scored from 15 yards just 1:07 into the contest. Brown scored again from 15 yards just a minute later to up Catholic’s lead to 13-0. An 86-yard strike from Chase Cunningham to Amari Rodgers midway through the opening stanza moved Catholic ahead, 19-0. A 32-yard pass from Cunningham to Kuerschen less than three minutes later gave Catholic a 26-0 lead after the first quarter. Fulton answered with three second-quarter touchdowns to cut Catholic’s halftime margin to 26-19. On Fulton’s opening possession of the second half, Augie Fortune blocked a Falcon punt into the end zone, where Fulton fell on the ball for a Catholic safety. The Falcons scored a touchdown midway through the quarter to account for the final points of the evening. Cunningham was 10-of-27 passing for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Brown led the Irish rushing attack with 67 yards on 15 carries, while Rodgers had three receptions for 103 yards. Fortune led the Irish defense with 17 tackles, including three TFL’s and a sack. Morgan Ernst had 14 stops. Cade Mays had 8.5 tackles, including three TFL’s, and a fumble recovery. Austin Rowan had eight tackles, while Jones Albritton had 7.5 stops and a caused fumble.
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, 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 (cont’d)
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
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 (cont’d) 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 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 (cont’d)
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 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 (cont’d)
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 28 scoring drives lasting less than one minute this season. Eleven of those drives were of the one-play variety.
TURNOVER MARGIN – Catholic is minus-2 in turnover margin this season. The Irish have thrown 18 interceptions and lost 13 fumbles. Opponents have thrown 17 interceptions and lost 12 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 four safeties this season. In Catholic’s 28-25 second-round playoff win at Fulton, Augie Fortune blocked a Falcon punt that was recovered by Fulton in the end zone.
THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS – Kicker Jake Poczobut is 50-of-55 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)
DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLES – Catholic has had 28 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
Augie Fortune Fulton (P) 17
Morgan Ernst Fulton (P) 14
Morgan Ernst Greeneville 15
Austin Rowan Greeneville 14
Jones Albritton Greeneville 12
Augie Fortune Greeneville 10
Jake Kyle Greeneville 10
Chase Kuerschen Greeneville 10
Augie Fortune Marshall County 16
Morgan Ernst Marshall County 13
Chase Kuerschen Marshall County 11
Tony Scott Marshall County 11
100-YARD RUSHERS – Catholic has had three 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
Jeffery Wood Greeneville 17-119-1
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
CENTURY MARK – Catholic has had ten 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
Amari Rodgers Fulton (P) 3-103-1
Chase Kuerschen Greeneville 7-107-1
Chase Kuerschen Marshall County 6-126-2
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 – Today’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
UP NEXT – The 2016 season.
