Walker Valley beats McMinn County, wins region championship

BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR) – Walker Valley has been creating new expectations since head coach Drew Akins and his staff took over in 2019. The Mustangs pulled a Chris Jericho /WWE moment and added two more to the list with a 17-14 region championship clinching victory at McMinn County High School Friday night. Walker Valley won 8 games during the regular season for the first time in school history and beat the Cherokees for the first time in 15 tries.

Walker Valley’s big play offense made a statement within the first 3 minutes of the game when Evan Schwarzl connected with Brady Stack on an 81-yard pass that quickly silenced the Cherokee faithful to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead with 9:11 to go in the first quarter, which would be the only score in the quarter. Eli Wilson added a 32-yard field goal to the Mustangs’ total with 7:19 to go in the second quarter to give Walker Valley a 10-0 lead. McMinn County had a chance in the final minute to get some momentum on their side going into halftime. After forcing a punt from the back of the end zone, Brady Mullins and the McMinn County offense took advantage of the short field. Mullins found Jacob Sharp on a pass inside the 5-yard line. Then Mullins ended the drive with 17 seconds to go in the half on a 1-yard touchdown run and the Cherokees cut the Walker Valley lead to 10-7, which would be the halftime score.

@keesfootball with the huge TD just before the half, cutting the @valley_fb lead at halftime to 10-7 #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone

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The Mustangs got the ball first to begin the second half and saw Schwarzl, Zeke Garrison, and the offense get inside the red zone. The drive stalled when McMinn County’s defense, which saw Landon Feggins get a sack on Schwarzl, force a Walker Valley field goal attempt that Wilson missed.

@valley_fb gets inside the red zone on their first possession of the 2nd half but the @keesfootball defense stepped up (@Feggins_41 had a huge sack during this sequence) & WV misses a FG attempt! @redzonescores @OffTheBenchCHA @curtredzone @jlsimsy @sportscowboy

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The Mustangs would mount another drive inside the Cherokees’ 20-yard line, but McMinn County got a stop on 4^th and 2 when Walker Valley gained about 1 and a half yards. The 10-7 halftime lead that Coach Akins’ team had was the same lead they would take into the fourth quarter.

Taylon “Tarzan” White got free on a 15-yard touchdown run to give the Cherokees’ their first lead of the night 14-10 with 7:33 to go in the game.

@TarzanWhite2’s TD run gives @keesfootball their first lead of the night! Cherokees now lead @valley_fb 14-0; 7:33/4Q #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone

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A 10-0 deficit turned into a 14-10 lead for McMinn County on senior night and the black and gold clad Cherokee faithful was the loudest it had been all night. It was up to a senior on the opposite sideline to silence the home crowd just like in the first quarter. Schwarzl and Walker Valley marched down the field, taking nearly 4 minutes off the clock and retaking the lead 17-14 with 3:37 to go on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Roman Eulo.

@schwarzl_evan to @RomanEulo 18 yard TD pass gives @valley_fb the lead back with 3:37 left in the game! Mustangs lead @keesfootball 17-14 #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone

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The Mustangs defense needed one more stop to clinch the first region title for their program since 2004. McMinn County faced a 4^th and 2 at their 38-yard line, they only got 1 yard. Garrison slipped through the Cherokee offensive line and wrapped up Sharp just shy of the first down.

@valley_fb WITH THE STOP!!! #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone

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“That 4^th and 2 stop, that’s pretty cool”, Akins said. “That’s something that goes down in history that our kids will never forget. That’s really cool to be a part of.”

After Schwarzl took a knee to seal the win for Walker Valley, the Mustangs celebrated 2 new milestones and a region title.

Final score: @valley_fb – 17 @keesfootball – 14 WV wins the Region 4-5A title & gets their first win ever vs MC! #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone

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(1/2) @valley_fb head coach @Drew_Akins after the Mustangs’ 17-14 victory over McMinn County! #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone @schwarzl_evan @B_Braun50 @harvey_taylor09

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(2/2) @valley_fb head coach @Drew_Akins after the Mustangs’ 17-14 victory over McMinn County! #OTB423 #WGOWRedZone30 @OffTheBenchCHA @redzonescores @jlsimsy @CorePower @97_sports @sportscowboy @Carlito25Way @SOTGsmoke @curtredzone @schwarzl_evan @B_Braun50 @harvey_taylor09

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