The Sevier County Smoky Bears took on the Page Patriots in the TSSAA Class 5A state championship on Davenport Field at Finley Stadium on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Page won 21-14. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
CHATTANOOGA — Second place proved to be almost indigestible for Sevier County on Friday night.
The Smoky Bears were defending Class 5A champions and hungry for another win over Page at Finley Stadium to relive the same elation they had felt a year ago in winning the program’s first title in 25 seasons.
But after accepting the silver runner-up trophy from TSSAA officials following a 21-14 loss to the Patriots, Sevier County brought the trophy back over the sidelines only to set it down by its lonesome.
Not a single Smoky Bear wanted to touch it any longer than he had to.
Eventually, senior defensive lineman Peyton Huskey picked it up and brought it onto the field later for the obligatory team photo. But that didn’t mean they had accepted what had just transpired.
Page (14-0) rallied past Sevier County in the second half to win its first-ever TSSAA Class 5A BlueCross Bowl state championship after having lost the previous four 5A title games in a row entering this week.
Sevier County (13-2) finished runner-up for the second time in program history, as its Hail Mary pass in the final seconds was batted away by the Patriots. The Smoky Bears had battled back to tie the game with just more than two minutes remaining but couldn’t come up with the game-defining play to win like they did in 2024.
As Page accepted the gold trophy, Sevier County junior quarterback Cooper Newman grabbed the front collar of his jersey and shoulder pads with both hands and absorbed the moment. He wasn’t relishing any part of it. He was storing it for future motivation.
“Just taking it in, knowing I’m a junior and knowing I have another year. This loss hurts really bad for me, because I know there’s some plays I know I could have made or feel like I could have made,” Newman said. “It’s going to make me work harder this offseason to get into another situation like this next year.”
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HOW IT WAS WON
Joey Galazin, the 6-foot-5 Sevier County senior linebacker and leading tackler who missed the 2024 postseason with a broken leg, came up with the first big play of the night on a blocked punt with 10:11 left in the third quarter.
Sevier County recovered near the red zone, hoping to increase the 7-0 lead it took into the half.
Page stopped Sevier County on downs roughly two minutes later, though, on a fourth-and-1 run at the 17 to keep Sevier County’s lead at just one score.
The Patriots made Sevier County pay for not cashing in on its opportunity, taking the ensuing drive into the red zone. On fourth-and-2 at the Sevier County 5, Page went for it and got the barely got the two yards needed to keep its touchdown hopes afloat.
The next play, Page scored on a 3-yard run with 3:45 left in the third to knot the score.
Sevier County finished the night 0-for-4 on fourth-down attempts. Page stopped Sevier County on downs with 10:08 remaining, this time the ball being at the Page 28. The Patriots made Sevier County pay once more, going ahead 14-7 at the midpoint of the fourth on a 15-yard pass from Cameron Kruse to Knight Wilson.
Sevier County countered and scored on a 12-yard run by Bryson Headrick with 2:16 to play, the PAT barely sneaking through to tie the score at 14-14.
But Kruse, during Page’s ensuing drive, got a Sevier County safety to bite on a pump fake and burned the Smoky Bears on a post route over the top for a touchdown with 58 seconds to go.
The Smoky Bears got the ball to midfield on its final possession. Facing a fourth-and-1 from the Sevier County 48, Cooper Newman rolled out to the far right then scramble over to the far left and heaved a pass near the front of the end zone to Parker Newman.
Page’s bunch of defenders collectively knocked it away.
“I know if I could keep the play alive, I could go and have a chance to make a play,” Cooper Newman said. “I was just scrambling around. The line made some blocks. I was able to get a ball up, which is what the coach told me to do.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”
THE FIRST HALF
Sevier County opened the contest with a deliberate dissection of Page’s defense, orchestrating a 17-play, 81-yard possession that drained 7 minutes, 18 seconds off the first-quarter clock. The Smoky Bears went 5-for-5 on third-down conversion attempts, and Cooper Newman punctuated the possession with a 5-yard touchdown run, his third of the season.
Page’s offense barely had the ball in the opening frame, getting just one drive and going three-and-out for a 1-minute, 50-second-long possession.
Sevier County opened the second quarter facing a second-and-8 at the Page 39, its eighth play of its second possession. Newman tested deep waters, lofting one into the end zone but just out of the reach of Wyatt Maples. Newman hit Jaxson Perry on a 6-yard gain on the next play, setting up a key early fourth-down look at the Page 33.
Page stopped the fourth-down run by Sevier County tailback Nathan Patterson at the 10:59 mark of the second quarter.
Sevier County didn’t let Page take advantage of their time with the ball, though. Parker Newman came up with a big pass breakup midway through the second quarter to bring a halt to a Page drive and force a punt.
Seeking a double-digit lead head into the break, Sevier County got as close as the Page 33. But consecutive offensive penalties on a fourth-down try forced the Smoky Bears’ staff to call in a punt with 1:08 left in the quarter.
Still, Sevier County had three possessions in the first half and they spanned 17, 10 and nine plays, respectively. Page reached the half with just 13 total plays for 49 yards and only 7:27 in possession time.
The Patriots still found a way to end their title-game futility after the break.
“We have nothing to be ashamed about. Our guys, I wouldn’t trade them for anybody. They play full tilt,” Sevier County coach Todd Loveday said.
“They’ll be ready to try and make another run at it.”
5STAR PHOTOS: Sevier County vs. Page — presented by Jeremy Cox/THRIVENT