McColley Scores 4 TDs As McCallie Crushes Blackman, 49-10

Watson Runs For 125 Yards; Tornado Defense Proves Stingy

  • Friday, August 26, 2016
  • Larry Fleming
McCallie running back Shawn McColley (2) was a hard man to handle Friday night, scoring four touchdowns in the Blue Tornado's 49-10 rout of Blackman at Spears Stadium. Blackman's James Brown (11), Kaleb Crayton (14) and Jamis Carson (8) zero in on McColley.
McCallie running back Shawn McColley (2) was a hard man to handle Friday night, scoring four touchdowns in the Blue Tornado's 49-10 rout of Blackman at Spears Stadium. Blackman's James Brown (11), Kaleb Crayton (14) and Jamis Carson (8) zero in on McColley.
photo by Dennis Norwood

Senior running back Shawn McColley struck early and often Friday night, scoring McCallie’s first four touchdowns and propelling the Blue Tornado to a 49-10 rout of Blackman at Spears Stadium.

Once the game started at 8 p.m. – there was a 30-minute lightning delay – the Blue Tornado needed just 60 seconds to get on the scoreboard. McColley did the honors from 10 yards out.

“I felt great about that,” said McColley, who also scored on runs of 37, 7 and 1 yard against the Blaze. “That’s the first time I scored four touchdowns in a high school game.”

McCallie’s 49-point outburst was the most against Blackman since Oct. 20, 2006 when LaVergne walloped the Blaze, 52-10.

On the game’s opening drive, McCallie set up shop at its 40. On second-and-2, quarterback Robert Riddle connected with Tynelius Hall on a 42-yard pass play to the Blackman 10.

McColley scored on the next play.

“We were double-teaming that nose guard,” he said. “Once we got him gone, we were good to go. I just looked for holes to run through after that.”

McCallie (1-1) was gashing the Blaze (0-1) defense from every angle.

Another senior back, Kendall Watson, did heavy damage to Blackman’s ground defense, rushing for 125 yards on just six carries. He rambled 28 yards for a touchdown that capped McCallie’s scoring and earlier grabbed a 33-yard pass from Riddle for a score.

Riddle was masterful throughout, completing 11-of-13 passes for 154 yards, and directing the team’s vaunted option offense. He also scored on a 7-yard run.

“It’s the best Robert has ever run the option,” McCallie coach Ralph Potter said. “His decision-making was spot on. Every pass he threw was on the money. He played flawlessly and what an operator that guy is.”

McCallie piled up 528 yards of offense against the Blaze, including 365 yards on 36 rushes. Watson and McColley combined for 209 rushing yards on just 16 carries.

Blue Tornado touchdowns were coming faster than Muhammad Ali jabs against George Foreman.

McCallie’s second score capped a 73-yard, nine-play drive that included three third-down conversions. Riddle passed 8 yards to Tynelius Hall  on one, Watson rambled 16 yards on the second and on third-and-7, scored his second touchdown.

The Tornado forced a punt on the Blaze’s next possession from their own 22, but Jorden Starling broke through on the right side and blocked the kick, giving McCallie possession at Blackman’s 7.

“My assignment was to stay and hold my man up, but I saw a seam that I could take,” said the 6-foot-5 Starling. “If I took the seam, I had to make the play, so I gave it all I could to make sure I got that punt.

“It was an extremely good play for me because it shows the coaches that even though we’re given an assignment, we can read the play and do what we’re not told  and still make up for it.”

McColley scored on the next play to give the Tornado a three-touchdown edge with 4:49 left in the first quarter.

The Tornado had built a strong early lead in an attempt to avenge a 44-42 loss to Blackman last season.

“We did not want to start 0-2 again,” Potter said. “Our schedule is brutal and this was a huge game in terms of trying to define who we are. I couldn’t be prouder of the kids. They played a really tough team last week (Peachtree Ridge won, 20-9, in a Tennessee-Georgia Border Wars game) and we were disappointed to be 0-1, but the kids really responded. It was a fun night.

“This was really important for us and we came out of the gate in a hurry; we had 21 on them before we could turn around and sit down. That was great. “They came back with a touchdown, but we answered right back and that was key as well.”

The short drive set up by Starling’s block was the only “gimme” of the game.

After Blackman’s Connor Mitchell scored on a 3-yard run with 40.4 seconds left in the first quarter, the Tornado went 80 yards in nine plays – McColley’s fourth touchdown capped it – and pushed the lead to 28-7 just 1 minute, 56 seconds into the second period.

Blackman place-kicker Thomas Burks salvaged a drive with a 30-yard field goal.

Two possessions later, McCallie started at its own 16 after a 46-yard punt by Burks.

No sweat.

Watson bolted 61 yards to the Blackman 23 on first down. Riddle hit Jay Gibson for 15 yards to the 8. Riddle picked up a yard and then zipped 7 yards for a touchdown.

Eighty-four yards. Four plays. The lead mushroomed to 35-10 with 2:46 remaining in the first half.

McCallie’s defense, which held Blackman to 185 yards of offense, forced another punt on the Blaze’s next possession.

“Our defense is going to get better and better,” Potter said. “Our kids know exactly what to do and how to do it. It’s fun to watch them gain confidence.”

The Blue Tornado then unleashed perhaps the most impressive drive of the game that started at the 35.

Riddle was the man on this one.

He ran for 20 yards on first down.

Following an incomplete pass, Riddle gained 13 more yards.

Riddle found Watson open for a 33-yard touchdown strike, and the Tornado went into halftime with a 42-10 advantage.

In the third quarter, a Blackman drive ended when McCallie’s Tyler Carlisle recovered a Mitchell fumble near midfield.

Riddle completed two passes for 11 yards and McColley ran twice for 9 and the Tornado then faced a third-and-1 at the 28. On the fifth play of the 49-yard march, Watson raced 28 yards for the game’s final score.

SCORING

Blackman                           7 3 0 0 – 10

McCallie                             21 21 7 0 – 49

First Quarter

MCC – Shaw McColley 10 run (Alec Earp kick), 11:00

MCC – McColley 37 run (Earp kick), 6:10

MCC – McColley 7 run (Earp kick), 4:49

BLK – Connor Mitchell 3 run (Thomas Burks kick), 0:40

Second Quarter

MCC – McColley 1 run (Earp kick), 10:04

BLK – FG Burks 30, 7:11

MCC – Robert Riddle 7 run (Earp kick), 2:46

MCC – Kendall Watson 33 pass from Riddle (Earp kick), 0:22

Third Quarter

MCC – Watson 28 run (Earp kick), 6:38

YARDSTICK

                                             BLK                       MCC

First Downs                       13                           21

Rushes-Yards                   41-154                 36-365

Passing Yards                  31                           163

Comp-Att-Int                     5-14-0                   13-16-0

Total Yards                        55-185                 52-528

Fumbles-Lost                   7-2                         0-0

Punts-Avg                          4-29.8                   1-46.0

Penalties-Yds                   6-48                       7-37

INDIVIDUALS

RUSHING – Blackman: Master Teague 27-129, Amauri Burks 2-21, Camden Williams 3-6, Connor Mitchell 9-minus 2; McCallie: Kendall Watson 6-125, Shawn McColley 10-84, Robert Riddle 7-54, Xavier Brooks 5-47, Deangelo Hardy 5-44, Tyrik Stewart 2-9, Jack Murphy 1-2.

PASSING – Blackman: Mitchell 5-14-0 31; McCallie: Riddle 11-13-0 154, Hardy 2-3-0 9.

RECEIVING – Blackman: A. Burks 2-14, Tre Knox 2-11, Joseph Sewell 1-6; McCallie: T.J. Hall 2-50, Watson 2-41, Walker Fannon 2-16, McColley 2-5, Stewart 1-22, Rico Dozier 1-15, Bryer Roberson 1-12, Jay Gibson 1-5, Murphy 1-minus 3.

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)

 

Kendall Watson scored twice and rushed for 125 yards to help McCallie beat Blackman, 49-10, and even their early season record at 1-1. The Blue Tornado rushed for 365 yards in the game and had 528 yards of total offense.
Kendall Watson scored twice and rushed for 125 yards to help McCallie beat Blackman, 49-10, and even their early season record at 1-1. The Blue Tornado rushed for 365 yards in the game and had 528 yards of total offense.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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