FRANKLIN, TN – The Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles’s historic season came to a close on the road against the Page Patriots, 28-6, on Friday night in the TSSAA Class 5-A State Playoffs Quarterfinal.

Shelbyville’s star tailback, Robert Bailey, was held to just 31 yards rushing on 12 carries after averaging 155 yards rushing per game this season coming into the night. Stephen Bobo also finished 7/14 passing for 79 yards and 1 TD while also adding 35 yards rushing on 12 carries as the Golden Eagles struggled to sustain drives against a dominant Page defense led by three-star linebacker, Eric Hazzard, who is currently committed to Louisville.

“They [Page] are just that good,” Shelbyville Central Head Coach Jud Dryden said postgame, “They’re loaded with seniors on defense, and multiple seniors that have been starting since they were freshmen that have played in three state title games. That fact alone, you just can’t get much better than that in developing a group of young men in your system.”

“They are a force, and everybody that plays them is going to have to play their best game.”

The hometown Patriots utilized their standard dual-quarterback system effectively with Mitchell Granjean getting the start under center and William Wiebush finishing things off. Grandjean operated the offense efficiently, finishing 4/5 passing for 77 yards and adding 27 yards rushing and 1 TD on six carries. Wiebush finished 2/6 passing for 44 yards and 2 TDs with 1 INT along with 64 yards rushing and 1 TD on just five carries in relief. 

In all, Page used seven different ball carries on the night, finishing with 192 yards on the ground in total. Isaac Otey, who got the start at tailback, finished with 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. Colt Brown spelled Otey with eight carries for 40 yards as the game went on. 

For the most part, Shelbyville bottled up the Page offense about as well as anybody has all season. However, a handful of big plays ended up being the difference between both teams. 

“We would have a great stop, great stop, great stop, and then all of a sudden an explosive play would hit, and it was just that kind of night,” said Dryden. “Again, well coached football team, if you don’t play assignment football the way you’re supposed to and with integrity, and they pop you.”

Page won the opening toss, electing to defer to the second half, but both teams traded three-and-outs on their opening possessions. On Shelbyville’s second drive, the offense picked up one first down, but then ended up having to punt from the Page 46-yard line. Unfortunately for the visitors, a shanked punt ended up giving Page the ball with excellent field position at their own 40-yard line. 

The Patriots took full advantage of a shorter field, capping off a 3:31 minute, 9-play, 60-yard TD drive that included a 16-yard completion on 4th-and-3 and was punctuated with a 3-yard TD run by Brenden Anes on his only carry of the game to put Page up 7-0 with 1:21 left in the opening period. 

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Stephen Bobo found space for his longest run of the night (16 yards) but ended up fumbling the ball straight into the air. Colin Mulick recovered for the Patriots at their own 46-yard line, and the hosts’ offense would take advantage of the gifted short field once again. 

Spurred on by a 54-yard screen pass to Reece Lomenick, the Patriots doubled their lead after Grandjean found the end zone with his legs from eight yards out to put Page up 14-0 with 11:50 remaining in the first half.

Both teams traded a pair of punts before Page found themselves in the red zone at Shelbyville’s 19-yard line with just under five minutes to go in the second quarter, threatening to break the game wide open. Instead, Labron Ransom came up with a key interception at his own two-yard line, nearly returning it to the house before being tackled at the Page 42-yard line with 4:38 to go in the first half.

However, the Golden Eagles could not pick up a first down, turning the ball back over to the Patriots on downs at the 34-yard line with 2:57 left. Page looked like they were content to run the clock out and get to halftime up two scores, but then Wiebush had other ideas. Shelbyville’s defense forced Page into a 3rd-and-16 situation at their own 28-yard line, but Wiebush broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone to cap off his backbreaking 72-yard TD run. With 1:11 left, Page would take the 21-0 lead into the halftime locker room, leaving Shelbyville shellshocked. 

In the second half, Shelbyville’s defense came out with the necessary adjustments needed to give their offense a chance, even down three scores. They forced a punt out of the half, then forced a turnover on downs after Shelbyville’s offense had to punt it back to the Patriots. 

Shelbyville couldn’t pick up a first down, having to send out the punt team with 11:47 to go in the fourth quarter. However, Page pounced on the muffed snap at Shelbyville’s 13-yard line looking for the kill shot. The Golden Eagles’ defense held strong, forcing the Patriots backwards and into a 4th-and-27, but Wiebush used his legs to extend the play and find a wide open Anes down the field and into the end zone to go up 28-0 with 10:20 to go in the game.

Shelbyville’s offense finally got going on their ensuing drive, capped off with a 36-yard TD pass to William Bobo on a brilliant play-action fake by Stephen Bobo, but the extra point was blocked to keep it at 28-6 with 6:39 left.

The Golden Eagles recovered the onside kick, injecting one last rush of hope through the visitors’ side, but that hope was quickly dashed by a suffocating Page defense. On 4th-and-9, Bobo lofted a pass down the right sideline intended for Bailey, but the ball fell incomplete to turn the ball over on downs for the final nail in the Shelbyville coffin.

Afterwards, Dryden talked extensively about the impact this year’s senior class has left on the program as his third season at the helm in Shelbyville came to a close. 

“I’ve had them as the head coach since their sophomore year, and they’re a phenomenal group of young men,” he said. “They’ve worked hard, they’ve played hard, they created a brotherhood, and it’s going to be hard for these next classes to live up to the legacy they’ve left because it’s not just wins and losses that they leave. It’s their character, it’s their leadership, it’s what they’ve done to improve this program, and how they’re unselfish with everything, so it’s just a big deal with what they’ve done.”

“They are a high character group, and they want everyone to live up to and play up to their standard, and that’s what has happened this year.”

Dryden also talked about how this season has been a joy to be a part of, and how having an excellent culture massively contributes to the success of any given program, especially his.

“This season has shown us what a good culture can do,” Dryden explained. “We’ve got talented football players up and down the line, but what has really stood out this year is the way these guys have created a brotherhood within the locker room and how they play for each other and support each other and push each other. Everything they’ve done has been together. It’s going to be hard for any class coming through to live up to the standard that they have raised, and that’s going to be the key moving forward. All these younger guys have seen what it looks like to do it right, and so that’s what they have to live up to.”

Shelbyville’s magical season ends in the Class 5-A State Playoffs Quarterfinal round at 12-2 (6-0).