TSSAA Playoffs- Round 1 vs Elizabethton Game Notes Presented by “The General”
ELIZABETHTON Cyclones (8-2)
at
CATHOLIC Irish (9-1)
November 7, 2014
7 p.m.
Blaine Stadium/Hollin Field
TSSAA Playoffs – First Round
SETTING THE SCENE – Catholic makes its 22nd appearance in the TSSAA Playoffs…Catholic is the four-seed in Quad 1 of the Class 4A playoffs, while Elizabethton is the five-seed… Catholic is ranked third in this week’s Associated Press Class 4A poll… Catholic is averaging 41.0 points per-game, while allowing just 10.7 points per-game…Irish have scored at least 50 points four times this season…Catholic has outscored its opponents, 312-60, in the first half this season…Catholic’s balanced offense averages 209.6 rushing and 204.8 passing… Irish offense has had 28 scoring drives lasting less than one minute…offense has had 12 one-play scoring drives this season…Irish defense allowing just 243.7 yards total offense per-game…Irish defense has allowed just 47 points (two field goals and six touchdowns) in the second half this season…Catholic is +20 in turnover margin… Jancek has 2,004 yards passing and 24 touchdowns… Jancek has 4,081 career yards passing and 41 career touchdown passes…Rodgers leads team in scoring with 84 points (14 TD’s)…Jones is 50-of-52 on extra-point attempts this season… Fortune leads Catholic in tackles with 93…Rowan has 88 tackles, including 29 TFL’s and eight sacks… Irish have won 110 of their last 144 games…
THE RECORDS – Catholic is 9-1 this season, including a 3-1 mark in District 4AA. The Irish lost at home to Alcoa last week, 21-14. Elizabethton is 8-2 overall this season, including a 5-1 record in District 1AA. The Cyclones lost at home to Sullivan South last week, 28-21.
ON THE SIDELINE – Steve Matthews is in his second 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 29-15, and his record at Catholic is 19-5. Matthews played collegiately at Tennessee and Memphis.
IN THE PLAYOFFS – Catholic makes its 22nd appearance in the TSSAA Playoffs. The Irish have posted a 23-20 record in the TSSAA Playoffs and won the Class AAA state championship in 2008. Catholic reached the semifinal round of the Class 4A playoffs in 2013.
RACK ‘EM UP – Catholic has won 94 of its last 120 regular-season games.
OPPONENTS IN THE PLAYOFFS – Eight Catholic opponents from this season made the TSSAA playoff field, including three who earned number one seeds. Here’s a look:
Opponent (record) Class Quad Seed This week
Coalfield (7-3) 1A 1 3 vs. Harriman
Alcoa (9-1) 3A 1 1 vs. Johnson County
CAK (5-5) 3A 1 7 at Chuckey-Doak
Notre Dame (9-1) 3A 2 1 vs. Chattanooga Christian
Scott (7-3) 4A 1 8 at Fulton
Anderson County (8-2) 5A 1 3 vs. Tennessee
Hardin Valley (6-4) 6A 1 5 at Sevier County
Webb (7-2) DII E/M 1 Bye
DISTRICT FOES – Catholic participates in Class 4A. The Irish are in District 4AA, which includes (playoff bracket in parentheses): Alcoa (3A), CAK (3A), Kingston (3A), and Scott (4A).
CLASS 4A POLL – Catholic was ranked third in the final Associated Press Class 4A Top 10 poll of the season. Fulton was ranked first with 16 first-place votes and 160 points. The remainder of the Top 10:2. Crockett County (127); 3. Catholic (125); 4. Greeneville (113); 5. Trezevant (86); 6. Liberty Magnet (73); 7. Sullivan South (61); 8. Pearl-Cohn (40); 9. Jackson North Side (30); 10. Loudon (14).
DISTRICT 4AA STANDINGS – Here’s a look at the 2014 District 4AA standings:
DISTRICT OVERALL
Alcoa 4-0 9-1
Catholic 3-1 9-1
CAK 2-2 5-5
Scott 1-3 7-3
Kingston 0-4 3-7
Last week
Alcoa 21, Catholic 14
CAK 42, Kingston 20
Friday’s games
Elizabethton @ Catholic
Scott @ Fulton
Johnson County @ Alcoa
CAK @ Chuckey-Doak
DISTRICT 1AA STANDINGS – Here’s a look at the 2014 District 1AA standings:
DISTRICT OVERALL
Sullivan South 6-0 9-1
Elizabethton 5-1 8-2
Sullivan East 4-2 7-3
Johnson County 3-3 4-6
Happy Valley 2-4 2-8
Sullivan North 1-5 1-9
Unicoi County 0-6 0-10
ELIZABETHTON RESULTS – Here’s how Elizabethton fared en route to its 8-2 record: Elizabethton 49, Daniel Boone 0; Science Hill 56, Elizabethton 34; Elizabethton 63, Sullivan East 27; Elizabethton 55, David Crockett 20; Elizabethton 49, Tennessee 35; Elizabethton 57, Happy Valley 0; Elizabethton 55, Sullivan North 20; Elizabethton 42, Johnson County 13; Elizabethton 43, Unicoi County 7; Sullivan South 28, Elizabethton 21.
COMMON OPPONENTS – Catholic and Elizabethton faced no common opponents this season.
WEEK TEN – Catholic concluded its regular-season with a 21-14 home loss to Alcoa. The Irish got on the board first when Zac Jancek connected with Amari Rodgers on a 63-yard scoring pass midway through the first quarter. An Alcoa touchdown later in the quarter knotted the contest at 7-7, and neither team scored in the second quarter. A pair of long second-half scoring drives lifted Alcoa to a 21-7 advantage. Jancek connected with Rodgers on a 19-yard scoring pass to account for the final margin. Jancek passed for 166 yards on the evening, while Rodgers added 29 rushing yards to his reception totals. Logan Lacey led the Irish defense with 20 tackles. Also posting double-digit stops were Josh Silvey (17), Dom Souder (16), Augie Fortune (15), and Chase Kuerschen (11). Souder also had an interception.
WEEK NINE – The annual “Battle of the Bluff” went Catholic’s way as the Irish won at home over Webb, 24-6. A 35-yard field goal from Jake Poczobut gave the Irish a 3-0 lead after one quarter. Amari Rodgers scampered 68 yards early in the second period to up Catholic’s lead to 10-0. A seven-play, 71-yard Irish drive in the third quarter ended when Zac Jancek connected with Chase Kuerschen on a four-yard touchdown pass. Webb scored its only touchdown late in the quarter. A fourth-quarter goal-line stand by the Irish defense set the stage for an 87-yard Rodgers dash that moved the score to 24-6. Rodgers carried 18 times for a career-high 260 yards on the evening, as the Irish rushed for 345 yards.. Jancek finished 16-of-23 passing for 110 yards. Kuerschen was the top target, hauling in nine balls for 76 yards. Augie Fortune led the Irish defense with 22 tackles. Logan Lacey had 14 stops, Austin Rowan had 12, and Josh Silvey had 11.5. Kuerschen collected his third interception of the season.
WEEK EIGHT – Catholic improved to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in District 4AA with its 34-10 win at Scott. The win made Catholic playoff-eligible as it will finish either first or second in the district. After spotting Scott a 3-0 lead, Catholic reeled off 34 consecutive points to lead at the half, 34-3. Amari Rodgers put the Irish on the board with a nine-yard run to cap a 13-play, 69-yard drive. On Scott’s ensuing possession, Corey Ostrowski intercepted a screen pass and scooted 23 yards to paydirt. A 96-yard pass from Zac Jancek to Dom Souder upped the margin to 20-3 early in the second quarter, and a 20-yard run from Rodgers midway through the period gave Catholic a 27-3 advantage. Jancek’s second touchdown pass of the evening came late in the half when he connected with Chase Kuerschen on an 18-yard strike. Scott added a fourth-quarter score to account for the final margin. Jancek was 14-of-26 passing for 269 yards, while Rodgers led the rushing attack with 57 yards on 11 carries. James Orler collected 13 tackles to lead the Irish defense. Austin Rowan had 11 stops, including five for loss. Morgan Ernst both caused and recovered two fumbles
WEEK SEVEN –Catholic remained undefeated with its 50-14 non-district home win over Anderson County. The Irish struck quickly, as Zac Jancek connected with Dom Souder on a 63-yard scoring pass on the game’s third play from scrimmage. A 31-yard pass from Jancek to Amari Rodgers, followed by a 16-yard Rodgers run, gave Catholic a 22-0 lead after one quarter. An 18-yard Jancek-to-Souder connection followed an Anderson County touchdown and gave the Irish a 29-7 lead. Jancek tossed a 15-yard pass to Jordan Anderson just before halftime to give Catholic a 36-7 lead after two quarters. A third Jancek-to Souder toss, this covering 33 yards, moved Catholic ahead, 43-7, after three quarters. Cooper Edenfield rambled 56 yards late in the fourth quarter to up the margin to 50-7. A late touchdown from Anderson County, which entered the game undefeated and ranked third in Class 5A, provided the final margin. Jancek was 18-of-27 passing for a career-high 279 yards and five touchdowns (also a career-high). Souder had four catches for a career-high 137 yards, while Rodgers led the rushing attack with 53 yards on nine carries. Augie Fortune led the Catholic defense with 8.5 tackles, including one for-loss. Souder was effective on defense, as well, making eight tackles and recovering a fumble.. Corey Ostrowski had 7.5 tackles, including four for-loss, and also recovered a fumble. Austin Rowan had four tackles and two caused fumbles.
WEEK SIX – Catholic improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in District 4AA with its 49-14 win at Kingston. Moses Davis, who rushed for a career-high 126 yards in the game, opened the scoring with his 13-yard run late in the first quarter. Kingston then returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. Davis found paydirt from the defensive side next, returning an interception 53 yards to give the Irish the lead for good. A 27-yard run from Griffin Dishner upped the margin to 21-7, midway through the second quarter. A six-yard run by Davis gave the Irish a 28-7 lead before Kingston scored again just prior to halftime. After scoring on the ground in the first half, the Irish turned to the air in the third quarter. Zac Jancek passed five yards to Jordan Anderson, then connected with Chase Kuerschen on a 34-yard score late in the quarter. Austin Rowan concluded the scoring with his three-yard run in the final quarter. Jancek finished the evening 17-of-24 for a career-high 272 yards. Kuerschen tied his career-high (cont’d)
for receptions with nine and totaled a career-high 169 receiving yards. In addition to scoring his first career touchdown, Rowan had a season-high 13 tackles, including six for-loss. Corey Ostrowski had 12 tackles for the Irish.
WEEK FIVE – Catholic pitched a shutout, its second of the season, with its 38-0 Homecoming win over Hardin Valley. Chase Kuerschen got the Irish on the board midway through the first quarter with his 59-yard interception return. A 13-yard pass from Zac Jancek to Amari Rodgers later in the stanza gave the Irish a 14-0 lead after one quarter. A 28-yard Alex Jones field goal upped the margin to 17-0 early in the second period, and a three-yard run from Griffin Dishner gave the Irish a 24-0 halftime advantage. Kuerschen found the end zone again early in the third quarter, grabbing a six-yard scoring pass from Jancek. Jancek’s third touchdown pass of the evening came later in the quarter when he connected on a 40-yard strike to Dom Souder. Jancek finished the evening 18-of-24 for 193 yards. Kuerschen and Logan Lacey each had five receptions. Augie Fortune led the Irish defense with ten tackles, including one for-loss. Austin Rowan added nine stops, including a TFL and a sack. Jones Albritton had eight tackles and two interceptions for the Irish.
WEEK FOUR – Catholic improved to 4-0 with its 55-7 home win over Tyner Academy. A one-yard run from Logan Lacey capped an opening seven-play, 77-yard drive. Zac Jancek connected with Chase Kuerschen on a 47-yard scoring pass less than three minutes later. A 31-yard Jancek-to-Lacey connection moved the score to 21-0 after one quarter. Jancek’s third touchdown pass, a 14-yarder to Dom Souder, began a 34-point second quarter barrage. A one-yard run from Amari Rodgers upped the margin to 35-0. Kuerschen’s second touchdown reception came on a 10-yard, one-handed grab from Cooper Edenfield. Edenfield then followed with a six-yard scoring dash. Catholic’s final score of the evening came when Souder fell on a bad punt snap in the end zone for a touchdown. Jancek finished the evening 9-of-12 passing for 186 yards. Kuerschen had five grabs for 128 yards. Rodgers led the rushing attack with 33 yards on four carries. Josh Silvey led the Irish defense with 11 tackles, including three TFL’s and two sacks. Austin Rowan had 10.5 tackles, including five TFL’s. Souder, Corey Ostrowski, and Will Mullally had fumble recoveries for the Irish.
WEEK THREE – Catholic enjoyed an open date.
WEEK TWO – Catholic moved its record to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in District 4AA with its 70-23 win at CAK. The Irish trailed, 10-0, and 17-7 before proceeding to outscore the Warriors 63-6 over the final three quarters. Zac Jancek, who was named PrepXtra Offensive Player of the Week for his performance, accounted for five touchdowns on the evening. Jancek had rushing touchdowns of 39-, 6-, and 18-yards, and had scoring passes to Logan Lacey (22 yards) and Chase Kuerschen (48 yards). Jancek finished the evening with seven rushes for 95 yards, and was 13-of-22 passing for 187 yards. Amari Rodgers led the Irish rushing attack with 148 yards and two touchdowns (72 and 38 yards) on nine carries. Catholic ground out 382 rushing yards for the game. Rodgers also scored on a 47-yard interception return.. Lacey (one yard) and Matt Carson (one yard) also had rushing touchdowns for the Irish. Dom Souder led the Irish defense with nine tackles, while Tony Scott and Josh Silvey added eight tackles each. Austin Rowan collected 6.5 tackles, including 3.5 sacks. Augie Fortune also had an interception.
WEEK ONE – Catholic improved to 2-0 on the 2014 campaign with its 61-0 win at home over Coalfield. The Irish posted 41 first-quarter points, then added 20 points in the second stanza. Dom Souder opened the scoring with his 19-yard pass from Zac Jancek. Jancek then connected with Logan Lacey on a 15-yard scoring play. On the following Coalfield possession, Lacey scooped up a fumble and went in from eight yards. Souder’s second scoring grab from Jancek, a 26-yarder, upped the margin to 27-0. Lacey followed with a five-yard dash, and Tony Scott ended the first-quarter scoring with his 11-yard run. Cam Whaley had a four-yard run early in the second quarter, with Griffin Dishner (55 yards) and Moses Davis (48 yards) adding long second-quarter scoring runs. Of Catholic’s eight scoring drives, six were of the one-play variety. Jancek was 5-of-5 passing for 74 yards and three touchdowns. Fifteen different players had rushing attempts for the Irish, led by Joshua Brown with 72 yards on four carries. Catholic had 420 yards total offense on the evening. Catholic’s defense was stout, allowing Coalfield just 77 yards in total offense. Morgan Ernst had eight stops for the Irish, including three for-loss. Jay Smolens also had eight tackles, while Connor Ostrowski added seven. Austin Rowan had three tackles-for-loss. Sammy Nelson recorded his second interception of the season, while Davis also had a pick.
WEEK ZERO – Catholic opened its 2014 season with a 15-12 win at Notre Dame. The Irish scored on their opening drive of the season, going 55 yards in six plays. Amari Rodgers raced into the end zone from 25 yards out to give Catholic a 6-0 lead. A two-point conversion pass from Logan Lacey to Augie Fortune upped the margin to 8-0. Following a Notre Dame touchdown, Catholic scored later in the opening quarter when Zac Jancek connected with Jordan Anderson on a 44-yard scoring strike. Jake Poczobut’s extra point left the Irish ahead 15-6 after one quarter. Notre Dame added third- and fourth-quarter field goals to account for the final margin. Jancek was 21-of-35 passing for a career-high 268 yards. Chase Kuerschen had nine catches (cont’d)
for a career-high 133 yards. Anderson also topped the century mark with five catches for 102 yards. Catholic had 427 yards in total offense on the evening. Fortune and Corey Ostrowski led the Irish defense with 12 tackles each. Austin Rowan had 11 stops, while Logan Lacey and Dom Souder had ten tackles each. The Irish had 18 tackles-for-loss in the game, including six by Rowan and five by Ostrowski. Kuerschen and Sammy Nelson had interceptions for the Irish.
TEAM STATS – Catholic averages 414.4 yards per-game in total offense, including 209.6 yards on the ground and 204.8 yards through the air. Defensively, Catholic allows 243.7 yards per-game, including 140.2 yards on the ground and 103.5 yards through the air. Catholic averages 41.0 points per-game. Opponents average 10.7 points per-game.
FAST START – Catholic has outscored its opponents 312-60 in the first half this season.
MAKE IT QUICK – Catholic’s offense has had 28 scoring drives lasting less than one minute this season. Twelve of the scoring drives were of the one-play variety.
NOT MANY POINTS – The Irish defense has allowed just 47 points (two field goals and six touchdowns) in the second half this season.
TURNOVER MARGIN – Catholic is +20 in turnover margin this season. The Irish have thrown seven interceptions and have lost two fumbles. Opponents have thrown 14 interceptions and lost 15 fumbles.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS – Here are Catholic’s leaders in various individual categories:
Rushing: Amari Rodgers – 69 att., 646 yds., 9 TD
Passing: Zac Jancek – 138-216-7, 2,004 yds., 24 TD
Receiving: Chase Kuerschen – 50 rec., 765 yds., 7 TD
Scoring: Amari Rodgers – 84 pts.
Tackles: Augie Fortune – 93
Tackles for loss: Austin Rowan – 29
Sacks: Austin Rowan – 8
Interceptions: Chase Kuerschen — 3
THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS – Kicker Alex Jones is 50-of-52 on extra-point attempts this season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Catholic has had one player selected as PrepXtra Player of the Week this season. Here’s a look
PLAYER OPPONENT STATS
Zac Jancek CAK 7 att, 95 yds, 3TD; 13-22-1, 187 yds, 2TD
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Catholic has had two players selected as WBIR/USA Today Player of the Week. Here’s a look:
PLAYER OPPONENT STATS
Austin Rowan Tyner 10.5 tackles, 5 TFL, .5 sack
Jones Albritton Hardin Valley 8 tackles, 2 INT, 1 fumble caused
100-YARD RUSHERS – Catholic has had three 100-yard rushing efforts in 2014. Here’s a look:
PLAYER OPPONENT ATT-YDS-TD
Amari Rodgers CAK 9-148-2
Moses Davis Kingston 8-126-2
Amari Rodgers Webb 18-260-2
CENTURY MARK – Catholic has had six 100-yard receiving performances this season. Here’s a look:
Player Opponent Rec-Yds-TD
Chase Kuerschen Notre Dame 9-133-0
Jordan Anderson Notre Dame 5-102-1
Chase Kuerschen Tyner 5-128-2
Chase Kuerschen Kingston 9-169-1
Dom Souder Anderson Co. 4-137-3
Dom Souder Scott 2-103-1
DOUBLE-DIGIT TACKLES – Catholic has had 22 double-digit tackle efforts this season. Here’s a look:
Player Opponent Tackles
Augie Fortune Notre Dame 12
Corey Ostrowski Notre Dame 12
Austin Rowan Notre Dame 11
Logan Lacey Notre Dame 10
Dom Souder Notre Dame 10
Josh Silvey Tyner 12
Austin Rowan Tyner 10.5
Augie Fortune Hardin Valley 10
Austin Rowan Kingston 13
Corey Ostrowski Kingston 12
James Orler Scott 13
Austin Rowan Scott 11
Augie Fortune Webb 22
Dom Souder Webb 14
Austin Rowan Webb 12
Josh Silvey Webb 11.5
Logan Lacey Alcoa 20
Josh Silvey Alcoa 17
Dom Souder Alcoa 16
Augie Fortune Alcoa 15
Chase Kuerschen Alcoa 11
CAREER STATISTCS – Here are career statistics for select players:
Zac Jancek (QB, 6-3, 195, Sr.)
Passing Com-Att-Int Yards Pct YPG Long TD
2013 146-249-10 2077 .586 173.1 73 17
2014 138-216-7 2004 .639 200.4 96 24
Total 284-465-17 4081 611 185.5 96 41
Rushing Att Yds YPR YPG Long TD
2013 89 133 1.5 11.1 24 2
2014 63 270 4.3 27.0 47 3
Total 152 403 2.7 18.3 47 5
Chase Kuerschen (WR, 6-1, 190, So.
Rec Rec Yds RPG YPC YPG Long TD
2013 42 562 3.2 13.4 43.2 35 2
2014 50 765 5.0 15.3 76.5 48 7
Total 92 1327 4.0 14.4 57.7 48 9
Amari Rodgers (RB, 5-10, 190, So.)
Rushing Att Yds YPR YPG Long TD
2013 54 293 5.4 73.3 41 4
2014 69 646 9.4 64.6 87 9
Total 123 939 7.6 67.1 87 13
Rec Rec Yds RPG YPC YPG Long TD
2013 7 103 1.8 14.7 25.8 36 1
2014 17 196 1.7 11.5 19.6 63 4
Total 24 299 1.7 12.5 21.4 63 5
Logan Lacey (FB/LB, 6-0, 225, Sr.)
Rushing Att Yds YPR YPG Long TD
2011 41 176 4.3 22.0 15 0
2012 71 359 5.1 35.9 30 6
2013 133 635 4.8 45.4 52 8
2014 27 98 3.6 9.8 17 3
Total 272 1268 4.7 28.8 52 17
Rec Rec Yds RPG YPC YPG Long TD
2011 9 127 1.1 14.1 15.9 62 2
2012 14 166 1.4 11.9 16.6 29 1
2013 27 313 1.9 11.6 22.4 61 3
2014 30 295 3.0 9.8 29.5 32 3
Total 80 901 1.8 11.3 20.5 62 9
Defense UT AT TOT TFL SACKFR PBU INT
2011 9 1 10 1
2012 49 26 75 7 1 2 1
2013 48.5 65 113.5 13 2.5 5 2
2014 22 63 85 7 2 5
Total 128.5 155 283.5 28 3.5 2 12 3
THE LAST GO ‘ROUND – Catholic’s 2014 roster includes 18 seniors. Included are Jordan Anderson (RB/DB), Zac Jancek (QB/DB), Logan Lacey (RB/LB), Sammy Nelson (WR/DB)m Tim Quayle (RB/DB), Donovan Ricche (WR/DB), Dom Souder (WR/DB), Brandon LoCascio (WR/DB), Alex Jones (K), Connor Ostrowski (FB/LB), Jay Smolens (RB/LB), Corey Ostrowski (OL/DL), Blake Mayo (TE/LB), Chris Jackson (OL/DL), Christian Atwater (OL/DL), Brandon Morgan (OL/DL), Carter Edmunds (OL/DL), and Luis Soto (OL/DL).
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), J.J. Surlas (Outside Linebackers), Jason Surlas (Defensive Backs), and David Ball (Strength & Conditioning).
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
UP NEXT – Should Catholic win tonight, it would face the Fulton-Scott winner next Friday.
