Knox West Dominates Page For First State Title Since 2014
By Carter Mansfield
In Friday night’s 5A BlueCross bowl, both teams were looking to take the next step and win a state title after years of coming close and falling short. Knox West was the team to get back to the top of the mountain, and they did so in dominant fashion, with a 47-13 win over Page for their second state title in school history and first since 2014.
“These guys have battled all year and we’ve had some heartbreaking losses over the years.” Knox West Head Coach Lamar Brown said. “In the offseason we knew we needed to do some things differently and we came up with some goals and these guys have really responded to them all season long.”
After a scoreless first quarter, both offenses exploded in the second quarter. A touchdown just before half for West gave the Rebels a 26-13 lead going into halftime.
From that point on, West kept their foot on the gas and did not look back with both a second half shutout and an impressive offensive performance. The Rebels held Page to -6 rushing yards in the game.
“At this point in the season, you’re not changing much on defense, and if you are, you’re in trouble.” Brown said. “We just did what we have all season on defense and executed when we needed it the most.”
Carson Jessie was named MVP of the game, and rightfully so, as he went 18 for 24 with 286 yards and 4 touchdowns passing. His play is really what guided Knox West to an explosive and dominant second half.
This is West’s second state title in school history and first since 2014 when they knocked off Hillsboro. The Rebels cap off an undefeated season in which they ran through a gauntlet of teams, including being the first team since the 90s to beat both Maryville and Alcoa in the same season.
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