Tellico Plains: The Tellico Plains Bears knocked on Copper Basin’s door several times only to have it slammed in their face Friday night by a never-give-up Cougar defense.
Meanwhile, a big-play Copper Basin offense put up 20 points and held the Bears to 8 as the Cougars improved their season record to 3-1.
The game shape up as a defensive showdown in the first quarter.
Copper Basin took the opening kickoff, but couldn’t pick up a first down.
The Cougars came right back and stopped the Bears on a fourth and three to take over at their own 37.
Chance Bailey took the handoff and weaved his way all the way to the Tellico 19 yard line, but that’s where the ball would go over on downs to Tellico.
On the Bears next possession, Copper Basin’s Eli Patterson recovered a fumble to give the Cougars the ball on the Bear’s 46.
Tellico picked off a Bryson Grabowski pass at the goal line and returned it to the 12 yard line to stop another Copper Basin scoring threat.
But it was the Cougar defense that continued to set the tone, stopping Tellico’s offense after it gained only eight yards. The fourth down punt, which started the second quarter, set the Cougars up at their own 49.
A Grabowski to Chase Mickens pass gave Basin a first down at Tellico’s 31, then Grabowski carried the ball to the Bear’s 14. With 8:07 left in the half, Chance Bailey crossed the goal line from five yards out to put the Cougars up 6-0. The point after kick bounced off the upright and back onto the field, leaving Basin atop a 6-0 advantage.
Tellico recovered the Cougars’ onside kick try and started from their own 40 yard line. They moved to the Cougars’ 33 before the Basin defense forced stopped the Bears’ offense on downs.
The teams swapped possessions again and Copper Basin took over at its own 23.
As the half ended, Grabowski hit Mickens on a 39-yard touchdown pass to end the half. The two-point conversion try failed, and the Cougars led 12-0 after the first 24 minutes of play.
Basin carried its momentum into the second half when Eli Patterson recovered the Cougars’ onside kick at Tellico’s 37 yard line. But the offense was held and the ball went over on downs.
Copper Basin’s Addison Hook and Joseph Jolley combined for a huge quarterback sack on a third and 18 for the Bears with the hosts deep in their own territory. This forced a punt and the Cougars took over at Tellico’s 40, but a fumble gave the ball away.
The quarter ended with the Bears threatening with fourth and six from the Cougars’ 14 yard line. The Bears squeezed in a first down at Basin’s eight, but fumbled on fourth and goal. The Bears recovered, but the ball went over on downs to Copper Basin with their backs six yards away from their own goal line.
Bailey broke free and moved the ball to the 20 for some breathing room. But the Bears’ defense stiffened and the Cougars were forced to punt.
Tellico took over at their own 41.
Bailey then made the Cougars’ next big defensive play, picking off a Tellico pass to give Basin a first down at their own 42.
A Grabowski to Mickens pass set Copper Basin up with a first down at Tellico’s 36.
Then Grabowski hit Dawson Worthy on a 36-yard strike to give the Cougars an 18-0 lead. With just under four minutes left in the game, Grabowski broke up the middle for the two point conversion and a 20-0 lead.
The Cougars sealed the game on the kickoff, when the onside kick was recovered by Joe Boggs at the Cougars’ 48.
Copper Basin ran off as much time as possible before being forced to punt with under a minute left.
The Tellico Plains Bears added a touchdown pass and two-point conversion as the game came to an end.
Copper Basin Cougars Head coach Chad Grabowski was proud of the way his team played saying, “We started off slow on Offense but after the weather delay we got a huge fourth down stop on defense and that helped us get started on Offense.
The boys did a great job bringing the juice and taking control of the game.
I was very proud of the boys and coaches for how they prepared and performed Friday.”