WATERTOWN, Tenn. – After losing their top two wide receivers earlier in the week due to injury, and with Jared Carkuff serving a one-game suspension from last week’s ejection, the Cascade Champions (3-5, 0-4) were unable to establish a threatening passing attack in Friday’s do-or-die Region 4-AAA matchup at Watertown (4-4, 2-2) in a 25-10 defeat.

Braxtyn Burris, who exploded for 172 yards and one touchdown on eight receptions a week ago against Chapel Hill, apparently sustained a significant knee injury during the game, and was consequently ruled out for the remainder of his senior season. Lendon Gordon broke a bone in his hand, forcing him to wear a cast against the Purple Tigers which rendered him unable to reliably catch a football on offense.

Because of these deficiencies, Sam Bradley finished 5-for-18 with 52 yards and one interception through the air. 40 of those yards were courtesy of Xykaiah Dixon on four catches.

The Champions were able to run the ball effectively for much of the night with Nate Zimmerman finishing as the team’s leading rusher with 123 yards on 21 attempts. Bradley tallied 121 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries.

For Watertown, Garrett Davis found the end zone once on the ground, Xy’Kurion Burns scored once, and Carmello Davis also reached paydirt on a 63-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter.

To start, the Purple Tigers took the opening possession 60 yards while using up nearly half of the clock, settling for a short field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 6:04 to go in the opening period.

On Cascade’s first possession, Sam Bradley was intercepted by Layne Kennedy, and the Watertown linebacker set his offense up in the red zone. The hosts promptly scored on a short Davis rushing touchdown to take a 10-0 lead with 3:56 left in the first quarter.

After a Cascade fumble led to a Watertown punt, the Champions took over pinned deep in their own territory at the five-yard line. Fortunately for the visitors, they were finally able to establish some offensive rhythm, orchestrating a beautiful 95-yard touchdown march that took 5:02 off the clock and culminated in a one-yard plunge in from Bradley. When Cascade converted on the swinging gate two-point conversion, the visitors trailed by just two points, 10-8, with 8:09 to go in the half.

They quickly got the ball back after a three-and-out from Watertown, and once again the Champions found success on the ground. They knocked on the door of the hosts’ goal line, but the drive stalled in the red zone at the 15-yard line. However, the ensuing field goal attempt was wide left from 32-yards out with 94 seconds remaining in the first half, sending the Champions into the halftime locker room trailing by just two points.

Cascade picked up one first down to open the second half, but were then quickly forced to punt. Watertown turned the ball over on downs at the Cascade 36-yard line, but then the Champions returned the favor by failing to convert on fourth down at the Purple Tigers’ 34-yard line. 

Watertown took advantage, as Preston Whittington found Carmello Davis down the left sideline for a 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown to grow the lead to 17-8 with 2:34 left in the third quarter.

The visitors went three-and-out, and then the Purple Tigers went on a game-sealing touchdown march, taking more than eight minutes off the clock. After a successful two-point conversion, Watertown took a commanding 25-8 lead with 5:59 to go in the game.

Cascade was finally able to put together a drive to get deep into Watertown territory, but Zimmerman was stuffed at the one-inch line with 3:08 to play. However, a bad snap forced Garrett Davis to fall on the football in his own end zone, resulting in a safety to trim the lead to 25-10 with 3:02 to go. 

However, the Champions were stopped on fourth down on their ensuing drive, bringing an end to their postseason hopes in a 15-point defeat.

Cascade falls to 3-5 overall. The Champions return home for senior night against unbeaten Marion County on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.