Eagles go ‘extra mile’ to halt 24-game skid
By Steve Williams
Seymour High School was on Fall Break last week, but its football team was in Bluff City 100 miles away in the northeast corner of the state to play on a rare Tuesday night.
But that’s where the Eagles wanted to be. They were on a mission to end a 24-game losing streak.
It was 47 degrees at kickoff time and got colder throughout the game. Light rain turned into a drizzle and then a hard rain. It had stopped by game’s end and so had Seymour’s frustrating skid with its 37-0 win over Sullivan East.
It’s most faithful fans had made the trip and were huddled under umbrellas and anything that would help them stay dry or less wet. They were glad they came to see their boys prevail.
Coincidentally, Seymour’s last victory before the losing streak began was on Sullivan East’s field in 2022.
In the post-game celebration out on the field, coaches commended the Eagles and told them there was still time to start their own winning streak this season. Seymour, now 0-3 in Region 2-4A and 1-7 overall, will play at border rival South-Doyle this Friday. The Eagles will host Carter in their regular season finale Nov. 1.
“There’s a weight lifted off of us,” said Seymour Head Coach Patrick Clark after the win over the Patriots. “Not for me so much, but those seniors who have grinded and grinded and grinded.
“I was nervous about Sullivan East coming in here, because their quarterback (sophomore Peyton Lingerfelt) was slinging it all over the place and they were getting first downs on (state power) Greeneville in an earlier game this season. We knew we were going to have to play solid and it was a short week. So I’m really proud of our kids.
“When we told them to just keep on believing, they just kept on believing and that’s huge and they deserve it.
“My coaching staff worked their tails off. I’m proud of them, too. So, as the caretaker of the program, it’s big, but it’s a heck of a lot bigger for those young ones. I’m so happy for those young men.”
Seymour team captain Jackson Gratton was on the sideline but couldn’t play due to a knee injury he had suffered the week before against Fulton. But there was no way he was going to miss the game and not support his team.
“I’m always going to be here for my team,” said Gratton. “And with or without me, I’m still going to support them through thick and thin. And in losses always. Today we come out with a win, which I’m very proud of them for.”
Madden Guffey, Seymour’s No. 1 quarterback who had been injured, returned for this game, which gave the Eagles a boost.
Ryan Gibson again was a one-man wrecking crew for SHS. The junior bruiser carried the ball 27 times for 302 yards. He had three touchdown runs of 14, 3 and 25 yards plus scored on a 22-yard screen pass from Guffey.
Gibson’s only error was losing the ball at the Patriots’ 2-yard line after a 59-yard gallop late in the third quarter. But it was his extra effort that contributed to the fumble.
Coach J.C. Simmons’ Patriots picked up two first downs on the first possession of the game. But Seymour quickly halted that as Corey Helton put a heavy rush on Lingerfelt and broke up two straight pass attempts. A hard tackle by Mason Brown then put Sullivan East in punt formation.
Lingerfelt, who also is SE’s punter, attempted a pass on fourth-and-seven from the Patriots’ 45 instead of punting and it fell incomplete.
Seymour took advantage of the field position and Gibson scored his first touchdown on a 14-yard run and the Eagles led 6-0.
Sullivan East’s best scoring threat came on its second possession when Lingerfelt completed four passes, including two to Devin Bowman for 36 and 25 yards, which took the Patriots from their 6-yard line to first and goal at the Seymour 10. But they would get no closer.
Seymour increased its advantage to 14-0 at halftime on Guffey’s screen pass to Gibson. Sophomore Duke Delozier intercepted a SE pass at the Eagles’ 20-yard line and returned the pick to midfield to end the first half.
Seymour pulled away after intermission. Gibson, in fact, broke loose for a 60-yard gallop to the Sullivan East 3 on the first play of the third quarter to set up his 3-yard TD run.
The Eagles’ Hunter Williams had a big hit on the Patriots’ next possession followed by an interception and return to the SE 47. Gibson scored his third TD on a 25-yard run with 1:09 to go in the third quarter.
Early in the final quarter, Alec Brown raced 30 yards around left end to score and Jackson Kendall capped the scoring with a 39-yard field goal that set off the mercy rule’s running clock.
Seymour sophomore Grayson Davis intercepted a pass and was headed for paydirt but was tackled inside the 5-yard line on the last play of the game.
This rare Tuesday night game was set up as a fill-in game for both teams, after they each lost a scheduled game due to Hurricane Helene. While Seymour is off this Friday, Sullivan East (1-7 overall) has a Region 1-4A game at Cherokee.
