KNOXVILLE, Tenn. | Gibbs rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead at Knox Central High School here Friday evening, before hitting cruise control en route to a 42-14 win over Scott High.
The game wasn't quite as close as the score indicated; the Eagles led 42-0 when they pulled their starters after the first offensive possession of the third quarter. Scott was then able to get a couple of scores on the board against Gibbs' younger players.
The Highlanders had as many penalty yards as offensive yards in the first half; much of the damage they were able to do came in the second half. They finished with 232 yards of offense, divided almost evenly on the ground and through the air.
However, the Highlanders did not allow Gibbs' second unit to score, and blocked a field goal in the third quarter. It was Kolton Newport who blocked the field goal try, one of the few individual highlights for the Highlanders.
Quarterback Brady Strunk generated most of the Highlanders' offense. He finished with 67 yards on the ground and 131 through the air, scoring two touchdowns. His favorite target, as usual, was Rylan Griffin. The junior finished with five catches for 103 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Defensively, Clayton Carroll continued to be the Highlanders' leader. He finished with seven tackles, including two for loss. Zane Lowe also had a big game, with six tackles.
The Highlanders were forced to punt to start the game, and Gibbs wasted no time turning possession into points, with Bryson Palmer connecting with Kamen Shown for a 33-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The senior quarterback was spectacular, completing 11 of 16 passes for 222 yards and four touchdowns, while scoring two more touchdowns on the ground. His favorite target was Shown, who had five catches for 148 yards and all four of Palmer's touchdown passes.
Scott High showed promise on the ensuing drive, but it ultimately stalled and another punt was forced, which Gibbs turned into more points on an 8-yard run by Palmer.
In the second quarter, Palmer found Shown for touchdowns of 16 and 39 yards, and ran for another 8-yard score, pushing the halftime lead to 35-0.
Gibbs got the ball to start the third quarter and promptly scored again, with Palmer and Shown connecting for 45 yards through the air.
The Highlanders fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving Gibbs a short field to work with. But the drive stalled, and Newport blocked the field goal try.
Scott was unable to score on the next possession, but would score on their last two, with the first drive going 97 yards after a Gibbs punt rolled all the way to the 3-yard-line.
