MORRISTOWN - The Sevier County High School Smoky Bears, with contributions from all three facets of the game, shocked the No.6 state-ranked Morristown West Trojans 31-3 Friday night at Burke-Toney Stadium.

The Bears (7-0, 4-0) scored touchdowns offensively, defensively and on special teams to come up with the lopsided win to remain perfect on the season and in firm control of District 2-AAA, otherwise known as the IMAC

Conference.

“Offense, defense, special teams,” said 18th-year SCHS head football coach Steve Brewer, following the big win. “It all worked together tonight.

“We knew that’s what it would take to beat Morristown West, because they’re a very good football team.”

Despite a lightning delay and torrential downpour in the first half, the Smoky Bears jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead, highlighted by a 29-yard Jared Baxter field goal, a three-yard Kel McCarter TD run and a 36-yard interception return by Josh Johnson.

Sevier County held a slim 3-0 lead after scoring on its opening possession, but neither team could sustain any drives until the Bears marched 79 yards capped by McCarter’s TD run with 1:24 in the opening half.

Johnson’s interception return came just 36 seconds later to put the Bears up 17-0 with just 48 seconds until intermission.

Morristown West managed its only point-producing drive of the night on the ensuing possession, scoring on a 29-yard field goal of its own with just 1 second on the clock.

The Smoky Bear defense kept things going Sevier County’s way to start the second half, forcing West into a 4th-and-24 punt from the Trojan 11.

Sevier County senior Jeremiah Foster and junior Brandon Tinker combined to block the Morristown kick, and Foster scooped up the loose ball and returned three yards for a TD with 9:51 in the third quarter. Baxter’s PAT kick made it 24-3 Sevier County and put the Trojans behind the 8-ball.

The Bears made it the eventual final when they drove 78 yards on 14 plays and ate up nearly half of the fourth-quarter clock in the process. McCarter capped the drive with his second score of the night, this one from one yard out with 6:50 in the game.

SCHS senior QB Zach Flynn came up big for the Bears on a soaking wet night, completing 16-of-24 for 229 yards with no interceptions.

The Bears rushing offense struggled with just 63 net yards on 25 attempts, led by McCarter with 30 yards on 10 totes but with two TDs.

SCHS next travels to Cherokee next Friday night.

chitchcock@themountainpress.com