We didn’t start the season how we wanted to, but they came back and have battled every week. They’ve shown resiliency all year and that’s what it takes.”

Cascade coach Jake Tyre

SUMMERTOWN — After entering halftime with a slim 10-7 lead, the Cascade Champions (6-4, 2-3) found their footing in the second half to outscore the Summertown Eagles (2-8, 0-5) 16-0 on their way to a 26-7 victory and a spot in the playoffs. 
Having never traveled to Summertown for a matchup on the gridiron, it was uncharted territory for head coach Jake Tyre and the Champions. 
“We have never been here, so it took us a little bit to get focused on the game,” Tyre said. 
“It’s a different environment out here and a different football team than we’ve seen all year. We shot ourselves in the foot a few times in the first half, but we came out and played good football in the second half.”
Cascade started the season with a 2-3 record, but turned it around in the second half of the season by winning four of their final five games, including two important region wins – a feat that Tyre is proud of. 
“These guys have worked their tails off,” Tyre said. 
“We didn’t start the season how we wanted to, but they came back and have battled every week. They’ve shown resiliency all year and that’s what it takes.”
A large portion of their success this season came from the ground game as they leaned on senior running back Connor Huie every week. 
And Huie carried the load well as he surpassed the 1,000 rushing yards mark with a 109-yard performance in the win over Summertown. 
“He’s been our work horse all season, but we couldn’t do anything without the offensive line that we have,” Tyre said. 
“We’ve had the luxury of having the same group of guys on the line each week. Huie has 1,000 and counting, Dixon probably has close to over 500 and we have some other backs that have run the ball well all season.”
Keeping with that same gameplan, Huie and the Champions struck paydirt first on Friday night when he punched it in from three yards out with six minutes and two seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The point after from Isaac Chapa made it 7-0. 
With six minutes and 24 seconds left in the second quarter, Chapa lined up for his first field goal attempt of the season and knocked it down from 25 yards out to give the Champions a 10-0 lead. 
The rest of the first half belonged to Summertown as they drained every second on the clock on their final drive of the half which resulted in a one yard rushing touchdown by Lane Green with the point after making it 10-7 heading into the halftime break. 
Cascade opened the third quarter with a promising offensive drive, but eventually turned it over on downs on the six-yard line after a personal foul penalty dropped them further behind the first down chains. 
But the Champions’ defense stepped up in a big way by forcing a punt and securing a safety after a bad Summertown snap landed in the back of the end zone to make it 12-7 with seven minutes and 33 seconds left in the third quarter. 
After trading punts on the next two possessions, Cascade found the end zone again when Sawyer Lovvorn bulldozed in from three yards to make it 19-7 after the extra point with seven minutes and 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter. 
Lovvorn totaled 49 yards on six carries against the Eagles. 
Four minutes later, quarterback Xamarion Dixon picked up a fumbled snap and slipped into the end zone from nine yards away to bring the game to its final score of 26-7 with three minutes and seven seconds remaining. 
Dixon carried the ball 15 times for 66 yards to add to Cascade’s total of 264 yards on the ground. 
Junior Hayden Dowell sealed the deal for the Champions less than two minutes later as he leaped into the air for an interception, and gave his offense a chance to line up in victory formation and kneel the clock out. 
The win secured a playoff spot for Cascade for the third consecutive year, and a trip to Hohenwald to take on the Lewis County Panthers for the second straight year as the Panthers defeated Riverside High School 15-14 Friday night to claim the first seed in Region 6-AA. 
1-0 has been the mentality for the Champions week in and week out this season, and Tyre will look to keep his team focused on that initiative heading into the win or go home contest. 
“We have to have that 1-0 mindset that we’ve played with all season,” Tyre said. 
“You fight to figure out who you are in the first half of the season, the second half is honing in on that and improving it, while the third half of the season is the playoffs and fighting to play another week.”
“Playing in November is special. These guys have battled, and they’re going to continue to battle.”

Cascade 7 3 2 14 — 26
Summertown 0 7 0 0 — 7 

First Quarter
C — Connor Huie 3 rush, (Isaac Chapa kick), 6:02.

Second Quarter
C — Chapa 25 field goal, 6:24.
S — Lane Green 1 rush, (Brad Hoffman kick), 0:00.

Third Quarter
C — Safety, 7:33.

Fourth Quarter
C — Sawyer Lovvorn 3 rush, (Chapa kick), 7:27.
C — Xamarion Dixon 9 rush, (Chapa kick), 3:07.