BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – Mistakes doomed Cascade against Summertown as the Champions (2-1) suffered their first defeat of the season against the visiting Eagles (2-1), 21-12, on Friday night at The Stable.

Two interceptions, including one pick-six, as well as a couple of ill-timed penalties ensured Cascade would suffer a second-consective loss against the non-region foe in Summertown.

With the Eagles’ rushing attack prominently featuring, neither side reached 10 possessions on the night. 

Cascade took the opening kickoff and drove down to the Summertown 32-yard line where the hosts looked primed to open the game with a touchdown, but the Champions were stuffed on a 4th-and-1 to turn the ball over on downs.

Summertown would methodically march 67 of the 68 yards required, but they too were turned away on a 4th-and-Goal at the Cascade one-yard line thanks to a wonderful play by Braxtyn Burris with 50 seconds left in the opening period.

Following a Cascade punt, Summertown once again faced a 4th-and-1, this time from its own 43-yard line, and once again, the Champions stuffed the Eagles short to force the turnover-on-downs. Three plays later, Sam Bradley, who finished a modest 8-of-15 for 85 yards and one touchdown with two picks, found Burris wide-open down the middle of the field on 3rd-and-10 for a 43-yard touchdown pass. After the extra point was blocked, Cascade held a 6-0 lead with 6:18 to go in the first half.

Summertown responded with another long drive, and again were set to go for another 4th-and-1 from inside the Cascade 10-yard line. However, the Eagles committed a false start, bringing out the field goal team for a 33-yard attempt, but it was hooked wide-left with 1:24 to go, giving the Champs the ball at their own 20-yard line.

After picking up a first down, Bradley fired a pass over the middle of the field looking for Ty Hazelwood on a slant, but Axel Heatherly made a great play underneath to pick the ball off. Heatherly made matters worse for Cascade by weaving his way into the end zone for a 40-yard pick-six that sent Summertown into the halftime locker room with a 7-6 lead.

The Eagles also opened the second half with the ball, but the drive began to stall around midfield before Braxtyn Burris intercepted the long pass from Max Dillard at the Cascade 19-yard line with 9:21 to go in the third quarter.

The Champions responded to the pick-six to end the first half with by far their best drive of the night, taking 3:31 off the clock to drive 81 yards, culminating in a 10-yard touchdown run by Nate Zimmerman with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter to take a 12-7 lead after the two-point attempt was unsuccessful.

However, the Eagles responded themselves on the ensuing drive, taking five minutes off the clock before Dillard bulldozed his way into the end zone from four yards out to take a 13-12 lead after the two-point conversion failed.

Cascade picked up one first down on its next drive, but were forced to punt after a penalty derailed the series. Summertown then put together a statement drive, taking 6:21 off the clock to march 59 yards for a game-sealing touchdown after Austin Reed ran into the end zone from seven yards out. The extra point was initially no good, and this would have given Cascade life down by just seven points, but the Champions ran into the kicker, and Summertown converted on the ensuing two-point conversion to effectively seal the victory with 3:49 to go by taking a nine-point lead, 21-12.

Nate Zimmerman led Cascade with 21 tackles on the night, and he ran 14 times for 75 yards on offense. Bradley had 43 yards on nine attempts to go with his 85 passing yards. Lendon Gordon tallied four receptions for 34 yards while Burris caught four balls for 51 yards and a touchdown as well as pulling down an interception.

Cascade looks to bounce back with a trip to Eagleville on Friday night.