Chuckey-Doak’s postseason outlook swings on the outcome of Thursday’s game with Gatlinburg-Pittman. With a win the Black Knights will host a first-round playoff game while a loss drops them to the No.4 seed and a trip to Meigs County next week.
“We have a good Gatlinburg team coming here,” Chuckey-Doak Billy Kaylor said. “They have some really talented kids. I expect a battle, this is a battle for the No.2 seed. If we win we get a home playoff game. It’s a big game for us. Making the playoffs is huge, and getting a home playoff game is even bigger.”
Gatlinburg, who advanced to the Class-3A state championship game a year ago, have shown vulnerability this year and sit at 5-4 heading into Thursday’s contest. The Black Knights are also 5-4 on the year.
Both teams will be in the Class 3A playoffs next week, but the winner will earn the No.2 seed and a home playoff game. The likely opponent would be Austin-East. If Chuckey-Doak loses it will be the No.4 seed and will travel to Meigs County next week. Gatlinburg can be either the No.3 or No.4 seed with a loss depending on what Pigeon Forge does against Claiborne.
The Highlanders enter the contest with a run-heavy offensive attack. Kaylor expects to see tight ends, extra linemen and a lot of downhill running from Marshall Gay. Gay has run for 1,324 yards and 18 touchdowns through nine games. The Highlanders average 172 yards per game on the ground.
Jackson Savarese is a receiver the Knights will have to keep an eye on as well. He has 716 receiving yards and eight touchdown this season.
“They will give two tight end looks. Sometimes they’ll put seven linemen in there and run the dang football,” Kaylor said. “They have a receiver that can flat out go on the outside and a really good running back. They like to run the football and they do it well. They are going to give us several different formations and we going to have to be on our Ps and Qs as far as alignment goes.”
Chuckey-Doak will try to match that rushing effort with a multi-pronged attack that will feature Brayden Greene, Marcus Britt, and Zaiden Schacke. Through air Brody Myers had a big night last week with 100 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The Black Knights are coming off a 28-20 loss to Pigeon Forge where penalties, turnovers, and missed opportunities proved costly. Kaylor knows that his team will have to play a cleaner game to get past the Highlanders.
“When you play a good football team your margin for errors decreases. Gatlinburg is a good team, and we have to minimize those errors,” Kaylor said.
A year ago, G-P won the meeting 52-7. The Highlanders lead the all-time series 11-0 dating back to 2003.
Kickoff for Thursday is set for 7 PM from the Black Hole. The game will be streamed live on the Greene Sports Zone Facebook and YouTube pages.
