Powell next!
‘We can’t wait,’ says Halls coach
By Steve Williams
The Battle of Emory Road will be rockin’ at 7 o’clock Friday night. And with Powell now in Region 2-5A with Halls, keep a close eye on the seismogram at that time.
More will be at stake when the Red Devils host the Panthers this season.
“I love our football team,” said Halls Coach Brent Hughes, standing on the field at Carter after the Red Devils’ 42-7 win over the Hornets in Week 5. “And it’s only going to get harder from here. Powell is our first region game. But as far as what our kids have displayed the first half of the season, I couldn’t be more proud of the effort they play with and the attitude they’re having.”
Halls is now 5-0, after going 2-9 last season.
“Absolutely,” concurred Hughes that Powell (1-0 in region, 3-2 overall) is going to be a tough game.
“Matt Lowe is one of the best coaches in the state of Tennessee,” he added. “It’s a very good and talented football team. It’s our first region game and those region games are the ones that matter, so it’s going to be a huge challenge for us. But me and my staff and our kids, we look forward to it. We can’t wait.”
Jackson Alvey, a senior lineman for Halls, talked about the Red Devils’ mindset after the win over Carter and with rival Powell next on the schedule.
“Obviously, we are proud of being 5-0,” said the 6-2, 270-pound offensive guard, who was hustling 40 yards down field to block for Kameron Bates on a 46-yard pass play midway through the third quarter with Halls leading Carter 28-7. “It’s a huge turnaround from last year.
“But our mind is set on being 1-0 for this next week coming up against Powell. That’s what we are really focusing on.”
Alvey believes the Powell game is Halls’ biggest test yet.
“I think we are going to have to focus on the little things for sure, kind of clean up some of the stuff that we’ve got; definitely clean up those penalties,” he said. “I feel like that’s going to make a huge difference if we can clean all of that stuff up.
“I mean other than that, we’ve just got to keep letting it roll.”
HALFWAY MARK: Most local teams have played half of their schedule at this point in the schedule. Teams with 5-0 records include Halls, Webb and West, while teams with 0-5 records include Austin-East, Fulton, Karns and Seymour.
And something will have to give in this Friday’s games when Fulton hosts Karns and Cherokee plays at Seymour. Each of these four teams will be looking for their first victory.
WEEK 5 NOTES: CAK beat Lakeway Christian 65-51 – a score which reminded some fans that basketball season can’t be far away.
Knoxville Catholic turned back Memphis Briarcrest 49-24 to improve to 4-1 overall. The Fighting Irish have an open date this week.
WEEK 6 ATTRACTIONS: Farragut will play at Bearden in the Rivalry Thursday TV game. According to the Farragut Football website, the Admirals are 42-21 All-Time versus Bearden in the original West Knoxville high school football rivalry.
Headliners on Friday, in addition to Powell at Halls, include Webb at CAK and Anderson County at Carter.
Gibbs has an open date this week, after defeating South-Doyle 55-13.
SPIRIT WEEK: Knoxville Catholic High’s Spirit Week concluded Friday with a pep rally, massive donation to the Ladies of Charity Food Drive and the Boys’ Dances. A huge #GoIrish Tailgate for the entire community was scheduled before Friday’s game against Briarcrest.
Pam Rhoades, Director of Marketing and Communications at KCHS, said the week had been “a ton of fun” for the students and brought class unity.
“Through Covid we were still able to have Spirit Weeks, however this one hits differently – the kids were fully back in form with unmatched enthusiasm!”
