The Mitchell football team had had its fair share of adversity leading into the 2010 football season. Despite a roster of just 22 players, each Mountaineer player contributes and has helped the team to a 3-3 record leading into last week’s game with the Polk Wolverines.
Again facing the difficulty of taking on the region’s lone undefeated team, the Mountaineers again rose to the occasion, literally, by blocking an extra point that proved to be the difference in 24-23 win in Ledger.
Polk opened the game’s scoring with a Jacob Christiansen 39-yard field goal midway through the opening period to give the Wolverines the early 3-0 lead.
Mitchell answered the Polk score with one of its own. Chewing up chunks of real estate with its powerful running game, the Mountaineers drove 80 yards over 11 plays, capping the drive on the first play of the second quarter with a four-yard touchdown run off the right side by quarterback Justin Hughes. The point after touchdown (PAT) by kicker Isaac Edwards was good to give Mitchell a 7-3 advantage.
Not to be outdone, the Wolverines kicked its offense in gear, scoring on its ensuing possession, an eight play, 62-yard scoring march ended with a one-yard run from quarterback Andre Overholt. The Christiansen PAT helped Polk regain the lead at 10-7 with 8:21 left to play before halftime.
With its next series, Mitchell pieced together a 13-play, 61-yard drive. The Mountaineers appeared to score on an 18-yard touchdown pass play, but a penalty negated the score. Instead Mitchell was forced to settle for a 36-yard Edwards field goal to knot the score at 10-10 with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter.
On its final offensive series of the half, Polk used its air attack to move into Mitchell territory. The Wolverines attempted a 46-yard field goal as time expired, but Christiansen’s kick was no good, and the score remained tied heading into halftime.
Neither team was able to put any points on the board in the third period, although the Wolverines missed a 25-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, the team’s second in three attempts, that would have given the visitors the lead.
Late in the third quarter the Wolverines began a nine-play, 71-yard drive that culminated with a five-yard Cody Orick touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. The PAT gave the Wolverines a 17-10 lead with 11:55 to play in the contest.
Mitchell was forced to punt on its next series, but the Mountaineer defense forced a three-and-out of its own and subsequent punt from the Wolverines to get the football back.
With possession, the Mountaineers took advantage of a pair of Polk penalties to move into Wolverine territory. Mitchell then used a halfback pass from Justin Hughes to Michael Styles to burn the aggressive Wolverine defense for a 27-yard touchdown. The Edwards PAT was successful and Mitchell tied the contest at 17 with 5:51 to play.
Undaunted, Polk showed why it had not suffered a loss thus far this season, showing composure in producing a nine-play touchdown drive covering 60 yards and 3:50 off the fourth quarter clock. Andre Overholt capped the possession with a three-yard touchdown run for a 23-17 lead. The Christiansen extra point was blocked by Ryan Sparks, leaving the Wolverines with only a six-point margin.
Needing to mount one final charge to reach the end zone, Mitchell organized one final drive. The drive began following the Polk kickoff, when a personal foul penalty was tacked on to a Mountaineer return to allow Mitchell to start its drive at midfield.
Following a sack and two incomplete passes, a quarterback scramble on fourth-and-long resulted in a Mountaineer first down at the Polk 37-yard line. A completed pass moved the football to the Polk 20, and a pass interference penalty three plays later gave the Mountaineers a first down at the Wolverine 10-yard line.
Mitchell quarterback Troy Self scrambled to the Polk 5, then made the home crowd hold its collective breath when he was stripped of the football. Mitchell fell on the loose pigskin, however, and Self had to spike the football on third down to stop the clock.
On fourth-and-goal from the Polk 17-yard line with just 10 seconds to play, Self floated a pass to the end zone and wide receiver Corey Greene out-leaped the Polk secondary to haul in the pass for a touchdown. Edwards was successful with his extra point kick as Mitchell took the 24-23 lead.
Ironically, Edwards missed an extra point just a week earlier in a heartbreaking 14-13 Mountaineer loss to Owen.
The Wolverines attempted to lateral the ensuing kickoff but fumbled the ball into the hands of the Mountaineers, who ran out the remaining seconds to seal the one-point triumph.
"Our kids played hard and didn't quit," Mountaineers coach Russell Barnett said after the game. “Polk is a great team and we knew we had to have a really good effort. These guys have come together. If you look at our stats, it's not just one guy. It's six or seven making plays every game. We told the kids that most people weren't expecting a lot out of them this year, but we're going to give it our best shot."
Michael Styles had three receptions for 54 yards and eight carries for 62 yards, while Polk County was led by junior quarterback Andre Overholt, who was 9-for-15 passing for 156 yards and had 111 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns.
With the win, Mitchell (4-3, 2-1 WHC) is part of a five-way tie atop the Western Highlands Conference along with the Wolverines (6-1, 2-1), Owen, Mountain Heritage and the Avery Vikings.
Mitchell travels to Hendersonville to take on the Bearcats this week in another key Western Highlands Conference contest.
Again facing the difficulty of taking on the region’s lone undefeated team, the Mountaineers again rose to the occasion, literally, by blocking an extra point that proved to be the difference in 24-23 win in Ledger.
Polk opened the game’s scoring with a Jacob Christiansen 39-yard field goal midway through the opening period to give the Wolverines the early 3-0 lead.
Mitchell answered the Polk score with one of its own. Chewing up chunks of real estate with its powerful running game, the Mountaineers drove 80 yards over 11 plays, capping the drive on the first play of the second quarter with a four-yard touchdown run off the right side by quarterback Justin Hughes. The point after touchdown (PAT) by kicker Isaac Edwards was good to give Mitchell a 7-3 advantage.
Not to be outdone, the Wolverines kicked its offense in gear, scoring on its ensuing possession, an eight play, 62-yard scoring march ended with a one-yard run from quarterback Andre Overholt. The Christiansen PAT helped Polk regain the lead at 10-7 with 8:21 left to play before halftime.
With its next series, Mitchell pieced together a 13-play, 61-yard drive. The Mountaineers appeared to score on an 18-yard touchdown pass play, but a penalty negated the score. Instead Mitchell was forced to settle for a 36-yard Edwards field goal to knot the score at 10-10 with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter.
On its final offensive series of the half, Polk used its air attack to move into Mitchell territory. The Wolverines attempted a 46-yard field goal as time expired, but Christiansen’s kick was no good, and the score remained tied heading into halftime.
Neither team was able to put any points on the board in the third period, although the Wolverines missed a 25-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, the team’s second in three attempts, that would have given the visitors the lead.
Late in the third quarter the Wolverines began a nine-play, 71-yard drive that culminated with a five-yard Cody Orick touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. The PAT gave the Wolverines a 17-10 lead with 11:55 to play in the contest.
Mitchell was forced to punt on its next series, but the Mountaineer defense forced a three-and-out of its own and subsequent punt from the Wolverines to get the football back.
With possession, the Mountaineers took advantage of a pair of Polk penalties to move into Wolverine territory. Mitchell then used a halfback pass from Justin Hughes to Michael Styles to burn the aggressive Wolverine defense for a 27-yard touchdown. The Edwards PAT was successful and Mitchell tied the contest at 17 with 5:51 to play.
Undaunted, Polk showed why it had not suffered a loss thus far this season, showing composure in producing a nine-play touchdown drive covering 60 yards and 3:50 off the fourth quarter clock. Andre Overholt capped the possession with a three-yard touchdown run for a 23-17 lead. The Christiansen extra point was blocked by Ryan Sparks, leaving the Wolverines with only a six-point margin.
Needing to mount one final charge to reach the end zone, Mitchell organized one final drive. The drive began following the Polk kickoff, when a personal foul penalty was tacked on to a Mountaineer return to allow Mitchell to start its drive at midfield.
Following a sack and two incomplete passes, a quarterback scramble on fourth-and-long resulted in a Mountaineer first down at the Polk 37-yard line. A completed pass moved the football to the Polk 20, and a pass interference penalty three plays later gave the Mountaineers a first down at the Wolverine 10-yard line.
Mitchell quarterback Troy Self scrambled to the Polk 5, then made the home crowd hold its collective breath when he was stripped of the football. Mitchell fell on the loose pigskin, however, and Self had to spike the football on third down to stop the clock.
On fourth-and-goal from the Polk 17-yard line with just 10 seconds to play, Self floated a pass to the end zone and wide receiver Corey Greene out-leaped the Polk secondary to haul in the pass for a touchdown. Edwards was successful with his extra point kick as Mitchell took the 24-23 lead.
Ironically, Edwards missed an extra point just a week earlier in a heartbreaking 14-13 Mountaineer loss to Owen.
The Wolverines attempted to lateral the ensuing kickoff but fumbled the ball into the hands of the Mountaineers, who ran out the remaining seconds to seal the one-point triumph.
"Our kids played hard and didn't quit," Mountaineers coach Russell Barnett said after the game. “Polk is a great team and we knew we had to have a really good effort. These guys have come together. If you look at our stats, it's not just one guy. It's six or seven making plays every game. We told the kids that most people weren't expecting a lot out of them this year, but we're going to give it our best shot."
Michael Styles had three receptions for 54 yards and eight carries for 62 yards, while Polk County was led by junior quarterback Andre Overholt, who was 9-for-15 passing for 156 yards and had 111 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns.
With the win, Mitchell (4-3, 2-1 WHC) is part of a five-way tie atop the Western Highlands Conference along with the Wolverines (6-1, 2-1), Owen, Mountain Heritage and the Avery Vikings.
Mitchell travels to Hendersonville to take on the Bearcats this week in another key Western Highlands Conference contest.
