SEVIERVILLE – It was a night that most gathered at Hardin-Robertson Field will remember as one of the best high school football games they have ever seen, but that will not make the loss sting any less for the Greeneville Greene Devils.
The Greene Devils were on the brink of knocking off the top ranked team in Class 5A on Thursday, but they watched that chance slip away as Sevier County survived to claim a 30-27 win in double overtime.
“What a battle. This is what high school football is about,” Greeneville coach Eddie Spradlen said. “We didn’t win on the scoreboard, but we got better tonight. We battled for four quarters, and I couldn’t ask for any more from them. This game was back and forth and as good of a game as we’ve been involved in in a long time.”
With the win Sevier County, the defending Class 5A state champion, improves its win streak to 20 games. The Greene Devils, ranked No.3 in Class 4A, take their first loss of the 2025 campaign, but they showed that they can play with anybody in the state.
“We showed we can play anybody. This is as good of a football team as there is in the state. It’s the number one team in Class 5A and we gave them all they could handle. They get a big field goal block returned for a touchdown before halftime, and then we fumble going into the endzone to win it in overtime. These guys showed fight tonight and that’s all I can ask.”
Thursday’s overtime period started with the teams tied at 24-24.
The Smoky Bears took possession first on the Greeneville 10-yard line and the Devils’ defense came up with three big stops. Maddox Bishop and Justin Chandler made a pair of tackles at the line of scrimmage before Aiden Ottolini missed a 27-yard field goal.
That meant a Greeneville score would end the game. On first down quarterback Caden Baugh followed his blockers to the edge and was knocked out of bounds at the two-yard line.
A false start backed Greeneville up to the six-yard line on third down and Baugh took off to the goal line again.
We have all heard the cliché that football is a game of inches, but it may have never rang more true for Greeneville High than it did on Friday night. As Baugh approached the chalk the ball came loose. Had his grip held tighter for mere milliseconds more the quarterback might have been in the endzone or his knee might have been on the ground, instead the Smoky Bears jumped on the loose ball to end the scoring chance.
“You get down to the end zone, you dive at the goal line, and you call that a fumble. That’s bull crap,” Spradlen said.
In the second overtime Greeneville started with the ball and had to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Sam Gourley to go in front 27-24.
The Bears needed just one play to decide the outcome. Quarterback Cooper Newman faked a handoff to running back Nathan Patterson going to the right and then gave it to Bryson Headrick going to the left on an end around. Headrick slipped a tackle and made it into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
The night could not have started much better for Greeneville. On the Smoky Bears’ opening possession Newman, a junior who holds offers from Michigan State and Georgia Tech, was picked off by Greeneville safety Kaine Ricker.
The Devils methodically marched toward the end zone and on third down from the 14-yard line Baugh zipped a pass to Taren Claridy on a slant that gave Greeneville the first lead of the night at 7-0 with 4:42 left in the first quarter.
Greeneville’s next scoring drive was set up by an interception by Claridy. In 15 games last year Newman threw just one interception, but the Greene Devils were able to get him twice in the first half on Thursday.
Jude Dyer started the ensuing series with a powerful 14-yard run, Baugh then ended the four-play series by taking off to his right and finding some space to work. Once he got loose there was nothing the Smoky Bears could do as he raced 55 yards for a touchdown that put the Devils in front 14-0 with 3:10 left in the first half.
Sevier County would not go quietly and Newman hit Headrick on a deep ball that went for a 44-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive.
Greeneville ran its two-minute offense nearly flawlessly and made its way to the seven-yard line with 13 seconds left before halftime. Gourley lined up for a field goal that could have given Greeneville a 10-point lead, but Headrick blocked it and Wyatt Maples returned it 67 yards to tie things at 14-14 going into the break.
“That is obviously going to suck a little life out of you, and it showed on our first drive of the second half. We had to get going again, and I’m proud of the way these guys battled through that,” Spradlen said.
The Smoky Bears made it into the redzone on their first drive of the second half, but Greeneville’s defense stiffened and forced a 27-yard field goal from Ottolini.
The Devils responded with a methodical drive that moved from one 20-yard line to the other where Gourley tied things at 17-17 with a 37-yard field goal.
With 4:08 left in the contest Sevier County took a 24-17 lead when it lined up in a power set and Joey Galazin plunged across the goal line from one-yard out.
A personal foul and good return by Zaydyn Anderson gave the Devils a short field and they quickly found the tying score. From the 34-yard line Claridy tricked the secondary with a double move and Baugh found him all alone down field for walk-in touchdown. Gourley’s kick tied the game, and eventually sent it to overtime.
Claridy had a big day for the Devils with two catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns. On defense he had an interception and another crucial pass break up in the endzone.
Baugh finished the day with 155 yards rushing with a touchdown, and 94 yards passing with two scores.
Sevier County’s Newman was 15-of-24 passing for 139 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. On the ground he ran for 53 yards on seven carries.
Greeneville will return to Region 1-4A action next week by playing host to Cherokee.
@GreeneDevilsFB fought toe-to-toe with the Class 5A No. 1 ranked Sevier County Smoky Bears, but came up short in 2OT 30-27. Afterwards, we caught up with Head Coach Eddie Spradlen to hear his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/cJymHfwgGn
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) September 26, 2025
It's a game of inches.
High-school games this good come around once a decade. Please enjoy our recap from Thursday night when the Greene Devils took on the Smokey Bears. #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/EEXDtZXuYs
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) September 27, 2025
We've got a tight one! 14 all heading into the second half. #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/P5MzxUTpJV
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) September 26, 2025
Greeneville goes into the defending 5A champs house and gives them all they could ask for, taking the game to two overtimes!
Your final, SCHS 30 – GHS 27#FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/sEPL2GCaSq
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) September 26, 2025
