Sequoyah football remained short-handed for the second week in a row and was not able to overcome the hurdle when hosting Hixson on homecoming.
The Chiefs (0-7; 0-4) found the end zone for the first time in nearly a month, but Friday night ended in a 61-7 loss to Hixson in Region 3-4A play.
“We had five starters out due to disciplinary reasons and we played a lot of freshmen and sophomores. The main thing is we want to get these guys experienced for next year and get them ready to play some ball,” Sequoyah interim coach Stan Rice said. “I talked to them about staying positive, keeping their heads up and keep moving.”
The Chiefs totaled 156 yards of offense, with nearly 100 rushing yards. Senior quarterback Aaron Hunt passed for 58 yards on eight completions, including a connection with Eli Ellis for a touchdown.
Ellis pulled in 20 yards on two catches. Meechi Rice added 22 receiving yards with 17 for Logan Sosnowski.
Carter Tallent was Sequoyah’s leading rusher, picking up 53 yards on nine carries followed by 45 yards for Hunt.
“We tried to do a lot more short passes to help the run game because we had a freshman and sophomore running back. We tried to spread the ball out to different people to keep Hixson’s defense on its toes,” Rice said.
Injuries paired with the suspensions left the Chiefs limited for the second week in a row. Per Rice, the team knew they would be without from the start of the week.
“We knew Monday what the situation would be, but, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we had great days of practice. Everyone was focused and dialed in,” Rice said. “We were looking to a little bit better ball game. Penalties hurt us and their speed really killed us.”
Hixson found the endzone nine times Friday, totaling over 500 yards of offense.
Chase Barnard rushed for three touchdowns while four other Wildcats scored on the ground.
Quarterback Luke Finch passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns, completing a perfect game with eight completions on eight attempts.
“They are very, very fast. We tried to switch to a 3-4 because we knew we had young guys and four starters out on defense. We knew it was going to be a challenge,” Rice said. “The second half, we went to a more man-to-man and a lot of blitz packages to help us out.”
The Chiefs move to 0-4 in Region 3-4A, sharing last place with East Ridge. Sequoyah continues league play on Friday, facing Red Bank, which fell to Soddy-Daisy in Week 7.
“Just staying focused and positive. We are looking towards the future and the big picture. Everything right now is going to be what it is, we are looking to the big picture to get these young guys experience,” Rice said.
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