Lance Williams (left), Tyler ‘Bubba’ Jeffries (53), Eli Owens and the Alcoa Tornadoes faced the East Nashville Eagles in the TSSAA Division I Class 3A state championship at W. Max Finley Stadium on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Alcoa won 45-14. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
For the Alcoa High School football team, familiarity does not breed contempt.
Rather, more like success.
The title-game repetitions against the same opponents since the mid-2000s have not hurt their championship pedigree a bit; it has only enhanced it.
Alcoa faced Goodpasture in three consecutive BlueCross Bowls from 2005-07. Won them all.
The Tornadoes played Milan in 2008 and 2009. Got both of those wins, too.
They went 2-1 against Nashville private school Christ Presbyterian Academy in Class 3A championship games from 2013-15, and they won both the 2017 and 2018 Class 3A season finales against Covington.
Now, Alcoa will face East Nashville again for a state championship, after having beaten the Eagles in the 2021 Class 3A BlueCross Bowl, 45-14, to win a seventh consecutive state title and 20th championship for the program, all-time.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. Eastern on Friday, Dec. 2, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
And Alcoa (13-1) knows full well what it’s facing. First-year coach Brian Nix has praised the coaching job of East Nashville’s staff for a while now, even dating back before last year’s meeting. And that take hasn’t changed.
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“That score (last year) wasn’t indicative of what that game was like. Coach has got my respect. They got my respect when it was 28-0 and they didn’t bat an eye. They continued to fight. They continued to play. Made that game 28-14,” said Nix.
“They’re well-coached on the offensive line. They know what they’re doing. They’re extremely dangerous throwing the ball down the field but a great mix of run and pass. Got some quarterback runs that they didn’t have last year. It’s as potent of an offense as we’ve seen all year long. It’s pretty watch when you watch it on film. You hope it’s not as pretty when it’s against you.”
Alcoa, if it wins, will become the first-ever TSSAA program to have won eight titles in a row. Alcoa won seven in a row from 2004-10.
East Nashville graduated 13 starters (seven offensive) off last year’s team but still managed to begin the 2022 campaign with eight consecutive wins. The Eagles (12-2) lost games in Weeks 10 and 11 and had to grind out first- and second-round wins.
Their defense has been susceptible of late, allowing 34 points to Waverly in the second round and 27 to Smith County in the quarterfinals. But it appeared back up to par in a nice 41-15 semifinal road win over an 11-win Covington squad. Alcoa would be wise to not throw Rolando Braxton’s way. The East Nashville senior has nine interceptions.
But more than anything, Jamaal Stewart, who is in his third season as coach at East Nashville, said Monday that the program has worked tirelessly on correcting the special teams mistakes — namely, punting — that cost them immensely in last year’s title game. Alcoa blocked a punt in the first half, and East Nashville’s punter kicked a punt into one of his linemen. The Eagles also fumbled a kickoff. All that happened before halftime.
“Last year, we didn’t put up much of a fight on special teams’ side of the football (game). We’ve focused on that all year this year,” said Stewart.
“We won’t be like a deer in headlights this year. Last year, our kids were just excited to be there. Now, I have a group of kids who have that experience and know what to expect — and know what they get when they play a team like Alcoa.”
Running back Tre’Quan Waters of East Nashville wasn’t on the two-deep for last year’s title game. He didn’t even log a garbage-time carry last year late in the second half. Amarion Ford was the workhorse and star for that East Nashville squad. But when he graduated, Waters earned the starting job. And he eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the season last week.
“He’s stepped in, and he does what you ask. It’s a selfless team,” said Stewart. “After the Alcoa loss, all our kids hopped in the weight room a month later. It’s been full-go to this point right now. We dropped two games (in Weeks 10 and 11). Everybody shied away (from us). But our guys stayed together. I told them if they stayed together, we’d get back to playing Alcoa. And here we are right now. They just take coaching.”
But for as much as familiarity may have been a contributing factor for Alcoa’s unmatched run of success over the past 20 years, the expectation to win and standard of play pushes the Tornadoes more than anything.
Alcoa senior offensive lineman Lance Williams, a four-year starter and now Mr. Football finalist, spoke Monday about feeling the weight of that when he entered the program.
No one in the Alcoa locker room wants to be remembered as being part of a team that didn’t get it done in Game No. 15 of a season.
“It comes down to our seniors,” said Nix. ” These guys here, it doesn’t matter that we won a state championship last year. They want to go out their senior year as champions. It’s an expectation in our program. I think the way we maintain that is at practice, trying to get better each and every day. That’s a coaching cliche.
“But you should come here on a Monday (practice) and not know who we’re preparing for — whether it’s Week 7 or state championship game. We’re just constantly trying to get better as a team. And these guys are trying to get better as individual players.”
CLASS 3A BlueCross Bowl Championship
Kickoff: 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 2, Finley Stadium (Chattanooga)
TV: MyVLT
On the call: Nashville Sounds radio man Jeff Hem, Josh Corey (color analyst)
EAST NASHVILLE (12-2)
Head coach: Jamaal Stewart (25-10, third season)
Championship history: one finals appearance (2021 runner-up)
Playoff Road: def. White House (14-10), Waverly (40-34), Smith County (40-27), Covington (41-15)
EAST NASHVILLE PLAYER WATCH
2 – Zacc Beard (QB, senior, 6-0, 190)
3 – Frank Gordon (WR, senior, 6-0, 175)
4 – Tre’Quan Waters (RB, senior, 6-0, 190)
6 – Bobby Joyner (WR, senior, 6-2, 190)
10 – Rolando Braxton (DB, senior, 5-10, 170)
ALCOA (13-1)
Head coach: Brian Nix (13-1, first season)
Championship history: won the last 7 Class 3A championships, 20 all-time titles, 2 runner-ups
Playoff Road: def. Johnson County (42-0), Pigeon Forge (42-20), Gatlinburg-Pittman (56-21), Giles County (38-13).
ALCOA PLAYER WATCH
2 – Aaron Davis (LB, senior, 5-10, 200)
7 – Elijah Cannon (ATH, junior, 6-0, 205)
8 – Kolby Barrett (WR/DB, freshman, 6-1, 180)
9 – Jordan Harris (ATH, senior, 5-10, 170*)
11 – Zach Lunsford (QB, senior, 6-2, 200)
12 – Eli Graf (ATH/DB, sophoomre, 5-9, 155)
44 – Eli Owens (TE, sophomore, 6-3, 225, Power 5 prospect)
45 – Joe McCord (DE, junior, 6-1, 230)
53 – Bubba Jeffries (RT, senior, 6-5, 300, Indiana commit)
56 – Brayden Cornett (LB/DE, junior, 5-10, 190)
79 – Lance Williams (LT, senior, 6-3, 275, Virginia Tech commit*)
* – Tennessee Titans Mr. Football finalist
5STAR PREPS PREDICTION
Alcoa 45, East Nashville 21
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