The Dean's List: Burros prove world wrong with big upset

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If the shoe fits, great – hey, no one thought it would, anyway.

Maybe no one except the Hillsboro players themselves and a coaching staff which had their team well-prepared for what hardly anyone thought would occur.

Hillsboro’s 10-7 state championship win over Maryville in the Blue Cross Bowl Saturday in Murfreesboro was an equivalent of Paul Bunyan trying to squeeze into a Cinderella sized slipper. But this time, the slipper expanded, and the clock didn’t strike midnight.

It was one of the biggest upsets in state finals history in what Hillsboro’s Scott Blade called the greatest win of his coaching career.

Hillsboro (13-2) followed up a 31-24 semifinal win over Henry County, a game where the Burros held the Patriots 20 points under their average, with these gems. The Burros:

• Upended top-ranked Maryville, snapping a 74-game Rebel winning streak, the longest current prep streak in the nation, and included four straight 4A state titles, starting in ‘04.

• Held Maryville to by far a season-low seven points, 27 under their average, after it came in at 34.3 per game, and also its lowest score in eight years. The previous low this season came in an August 20-13 win over Alcoa, which won the 2A state title.

• Finished off the upset after Keith Perry, subbing for injured QB Greg Young, was knocked out late with a concussion. Young, who suffered ligament damage to his thumb the week before, ably filled in the last few plays.

• Avenged a 35-10 2006 finals loss to the Rebels, which at the time was their 45th win in a row.

“This was my greatest win,’’ Blade said. “It’s the first state championship I’ve won as a head coach, so it’s not even close. We had a group of guys who all believed in themselves, just as they did the entire season.’’

Defense set the tone. LB Aaron Bryant led with 12 tackles, and Johnny Hawkins and Alex Crutcher had 10 each. Hawkins, Marvin Hughes and Antwan Williams all had a sack. Bryant had a key interception late in the third quarter. LB Marvin Hughes busted up a double throwback pass play midway through the final quarter.

“The defense made big plays,’’ said Bryant, a sophomore, who was named defensive MVP. “We had a little falloff, but then we picked it back up.’’

Eric Gordon, named offensive MVP, scored Hillsboro’s TD on a late second quarter three-yard run, and Crutcher led all rushers with 85 yards.

“I am nothing without my o-line and the coaches,’’ Gordon said. “Except for the trick play they scored on, they really didn’t do much else against us. They fooled us once, but not twice.’’

Jacob Noe ended his superb Burro kicking career, booting what proved to be the game-winning points with a 20-yard field goal with 8:52 left in the game, with his best friend, senior Hendrix Brakefield, as holder.

Hillsboro is the lone Nashville Metro public school to win a state title this decade, following the first in ’03, and just the second the last 12 years, following Pearl-Cohn (1996-97). In 1957, Hillsboro was 10-0, but tied Springfield 0-0 in the Clinic Bowl.

Franklin falls: Franklin lost a heartbreaking 20-13 decision to Murfreesboro Oakland in the 5A finale, with offensive MVP Sam Bass scoring his third TD with nine seconds left.

“I love this team, and that didn’t change whether we won or lost,’’ said Franklin coach Craig Clayton, whose team ended 13-2.

“Sometimes things don’t go your way. They (Oakland) fumbled four times and got them all back, we fumbled twice and lost them both,’’ he said.

“I was a little disappointed in the officials, I don’t think they had a very good game in terms of how they spotted the ball, and I thought we should have had one second left where we could have at least have tried a 60-yard pass to the end zone. But regardless, we’ve had a wonderful year.’’

Z returns with a bang: Showing little of the rustiness one might expect, Christ Presbyterian Academy post player Zaccheus Mason has made a smooth transition from one sport to another. He also completed a nice recovery from an injury he suffered in a season-ending football game.

Mason powered in 24 points with eight rebounds, leading CPA to a 47-36 win over host Father Ryan last Tuesday in his first game back from football. He was held out of the first four games by coach Drew Maddux.

“When I practiced the day before the game, it was my first day back from the concussion,’’ he said. “Once I hit that first shot, and it was all downhill from there. I just used the help I got from God and from my teammates.’’

“He really did great for his first game back,’’ Maddux said. “I think having played football with a lot of success translated right into basketball, and he came in with even more confidence than before.’’

Maddux celebrated his 33rd birthday Friday as he watched his team trounce his alma mater Goodpasture 72-35 in the FRA Classic. CPA then beat Sycamore to go to 6-2.

Heavyweight post duel: The 6-6, 245-pound Mason barely won an entertaining, heavyweight post duel with Father Ryan’s Princeton-bound Brendon Connolly.

Mason’s 24 and eight stats were nearly matched by the 6-9, 240-pound Connolly, who had 20 points and seven boards to lead the Irish in both those categories. Both blocked one of the other’s shots.

“Brendon works hard, he’s made a lot of improvement in his three years, and he’ll make even more at Princeton,’’ said 22nd-year veteran Ryan coach Doug Bontrager.

Armstrong returns: Brett Armstrong has returned to coach the CPA boys soccer team after serving as Trevecca Nazarene women’s coach the past two years. Armstrong served as CPA coach for nine seasons (1998-2006) and guided the Lions to the A/AA state title in ’99.

BA returns nucleus: Expect Brentwood Academy to be in the thick of the playoff action next season, following two straight finals appearances under coach Ralph Potter.

“We have a good nucleus of players returning, especially on offense,’’ Potter said, following his team’s finals loss to MUS. “We have to develop consistency in what we’re trying to do.’’

The Eagles return seven of 11 starters on offense, including leading rushers Victor Caro and Joshua Tate, along with QB Cody Nelson, and three on defense.

Cross-Country team: The Metro coaches All-Cross Country team was announced last week. The runners of the year were Jeff Musick of Lipscomb (boys) and Miranda Klein of Lipscomb (girls). Coaches of the year were David Rowe of Brentwood High (boys) and Luke Finley of Independence (girls) in AAA; Stephen Dorris of MLK (boys) and Earl Lavender of Lipscomb (girls) in A/AA; and Robert Pruitt of MBA (boys) and Jack Henderson of Harpeth Hall (girls) in DII.

Teague named: Henry County star QB Marsalis Teague has been named the Gatorade Tennessee Football player of the year. Teague, a Mr. Football finalist, sparked the Patriots to a No. 2 state ranking and a state semifinal berth before losing to Hillsboro.