Box Score Scots Falls 40-21 to Centre
MARYVILLE – Maryville head coach Ben Fox had the best seat in the house Saturday to see the football team he helped put together during three seasons as Center offensive coordinator.
Or, as it turned out, the worst seat.
Fox watched Centre defeat his Scots 40-21 on Honaker Field in front of a First Responders Day crowd of 1,042. It was 40-7 before Maryville put the final two scores on the board over the last 8 minutes.
The Scots posted 5.6 yards per play to Centre's 4.9, but the Colonels snapped 87 plays to Maryville's 45 and possessed the ball for 38:22 to Maryville's 21:38.
The last time Maryville played a fall home football game at Honaker Field back in 2019, Fox was in his third season as Centre's offensive coordinator. He knew the Colonels would field a talented offense in 2021, and he's optimistic Maryville can follow that same path to success.
"Our guys were very upset and very disappointed," Fox said. "They desperately wanted to win the game, and that's what I appreciate the most about them. We just didn't execute well enough offensively to string drives together.
"We ran only 45 plays today, and you can't beat anybody doing that."
Fox said that while the Scots played better in Saturday's second half, room for improvement remains.
"When we watch this film, we're going to see that it's about us," he said. "It's our execution, offensively and defensively. We had times to get off the field, and we didn't. We had times to extend drives, and we didn't.
"When we execute at a higher level, we will earn the right to win."
Both Quarterbacks Sharp
Scots quarterback Nelson Smith threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another TD. But he was sacked four times and Maryville ended the game with 21 rushing attempts for a net of 3 yards.
Maryville's Hunter Burke made five receptions for 59 yards, including a 38-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. Jacob Cortez set up Maryville's final touchdown with a 77-yard catch and run, and Sean Carter Jr. put the Scots on the board just before halftime with a 35-yard touchdown catch.
Smith's QB counterpart, Trentin Dupper, lived up to his billing on the Centre sideline. Dupper threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 14 times for 71 yards.
Haydn Tanner led all tacklers with nine, including five solo, and Colby Manis added seven tackles. Taylor Thomas contributed three tackles-for-loss for a combined minus-9 yards.
The Scots are back in action next Saturday at home against Methodist in the USA South Athletic Conference opener. Kickoff from Honaker Field is 1 p.m.
"It's all about us and our individual preparation. If we do that, we'll be ready to go for league play. If we don't start chopping wood to get better every day, then we're going to have issues."
First Responders Day
The Maryville Athletics Department before Saturday's game paid tribute to Blount County first responders on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The department and college also paid its respects to former Board of Directors chair Cole Piper, who died unexpectedly in late August. The Scots are wearing a CP sticker on their helmets this season in Piper's honor.
