The Chuckey-Doak Black Knights are riding high after last week’s win over West Greene and improved their record to 3-0. This week presents Chuckey-Doak’s biggest test yet in the form of the Unicoi County Blue Devils on Friday night.
This week’s contest holds huge Region 1-3A implications. It’s the first conference game for the Black Knights and a big one at that. Unicoi County defeated defending region champion Gatlinburg-Pittman last week, 34-27, in a wild shootout. With a win on Friday night, Chuckey-Doak could position itself in a really good spot down the stretch.
The all-time series between Chuckey-Doak and Unicoi County has not been kind to the Black Knights. Unicoi leads the series 22-7 and has won 3-straight. Although the Blue Devils hold a wide margin in the all-time series, Chuckey-Doak has won 3 of the last 7 meetings. Chuckey-Doak Head Coach Billy Kaylor is 0-3 versus Unicoi since taking over in Lower Afton. Friday night’s contest could put a one in that first column, but Coach Kaylor knows it will be a tough task on the road in Erwin.
“Obviously, it’s gonna be a good Erwin team. They are very talented,” Kaylor said.
The Black Knights will travel to Erwin to compete inside Gentry Stadium in a tough environment on the road. “They’re gonna be tough and they’re gonna be physical. Going to Erwin is a beautiful stadium to play in, but it’s a tough place to play. They put you on that side over there with all those cars parked and there’s people back there letting you know about it the whole game. It’s gonna be a fun atmosphere,” Coach Kaylor explained.
The Black Knights have been an exciting watch this season. The offense has scored 33.6 points per game with a plethora of different weapons. The dual quarterback system with experienced junior Kiptyn Ball and young freshman Brody Myers has been a headache for opposing defenses along with Chuckey-Doak’s four-pronged attack in the backfield. Wide receiver Skylar Davis is coming off back-to-back impressive performances with 348 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in 3 games. Chuckey-Doak’s defense has been solid so far only allowing 18 points per game across three games this season.
Unicoi County walks into Friday night with a 2-1 record with wins over Northview and Gatlinburg-Pittman. The Blue Devils average 27 points per game on offense and allow 25 points per game on defense. The Blue Devils offense has shown different looks in their trio of games this season. The first two contests with Crockett and Northview were pass heavy, but last week’s matchup with Gatlinburg-Pittman featured a more run-heavy look from Unicoi. “Offensively, they are very talented and very potent,” Kaylor stated.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 on Friday night at Gentry Stadium. Please note Gentry Stadium is not located at Unicoi County High School. Please prepare accordingly when navigating to the game. The game will be broadcast on 103.1 FM WIKQ with Brian Stayton and Barry Carter on the call.
“We’re gonna have to be on our a game to go in there and get a huge region win,” Coach Kaylor said.
