Tennessee brothers lead Ferriday to win
Published 12:00 am Thursday, November 17, 2005
VIDALIA &8212; Montago Tennessee followed the play down the line of scrimmage from his linebacker spot, exactly the way he practiced it all week.
Tennessee expected Vidalia tailback Demack Bates to cut back into the middle of the field. That&8217;s exactly what happened, and Tennessee delivered a thunderous hit on the final play of the first half.
Tennessee popped up immediately, pumping his right fist before sprinting toward the locker room with his right index finger extended skyward in the universal sign of No. 1.
As his teammates followed, they might as well have run the seven miles back to Ferriday.
Game over.
Tennessee&8217;s big hit capped a dominating first half for the Trojans (7-2), who defeated archrival Vidalia 54-6 to claim the District 4-2A title on Friday night at Dee Faircloth Stadium.
&8220;This is the best feeling I&8217;ve ever had,&8221; Tennessee said amid a
post-game celebration with fans.
&8220;It&8217;s like winning a championship. I&8217;ve never beaten Vidalia. This is the best feeling ever.&8221;
On a night in which Ferriday used plenty of big plays to snap a three-game losing streak to Vidalia (3-7), Tennessee&8217;s big hit was probably the most memorable.
&8220;We knew that he liked to cut back,&8221; he said. &8220;I was waiting for that. I met him in the hole and delivered the hit. That&8217;s how we had practiced all week.&8221;
The loss ended the season for Vidalia and veteran coach Dee Faircloth &8212; a stark contrast to the Vikings&8217; victory over Ferriday a year ago, when the Trojans season ended. &8220;We&8217;re through. We don&8217;t deserve to go to the playoffs,&8221; Faircloth said. &8220;We&8217;re not a playoff team.&8221;
Montario Tennessee led the Ferriday offense, carrying the ball 20 times for 173 yards and four touchdowns. He scored on runs of 11, 4, 14 and 10 yards.
Ferriday jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead, but the Trojans could have put the game away earlier if not for a fumble and a bevy of penalties. In fact, penalties seemed to be about the only thing that slowed Ferriday.
The Trojans finished with 17 penalties for 122 yards, including getting flagged for having 12 men on the field on the game&8217;s first play.
&8220;Other than the penalties, we played pretty good,&8221; Ferriday coach James McFarland said.
Ferriday quarterback Terrance Johnson added two touchdown passes &8212;
a 7-yarder to Dominique McKeel and a 15-yarder to Dra-Carl Walker.
Bates returned an interception 61 yards early in the fourth quarter to give Vidalia its only score of the night.
McFarland elected to leave his starters in for the entire game, virtually assuring one of the most lopsided scores in series history.
&8220;We&8217;re getting for the playoffs&8221; was McFarland&8217;s defense.
Faircloth, meanwhile, didn&8217;t give a definitive answer when asked if he will return next season.
&8220;I don&8217;t know right now,&8221; said Faircloth, who capped his 37th season as Vidalia&8217;s head coach. &8220;I&8217;ve got to do some soul-searching. It&8217;s been a tough year. A long year.&8221;