McMahon shines in Cosby’s emotional win over Union County

COSBY — All offseason, Levi Cooper raved about the impact that Eagles basketball standout Haiden McMahon would bring to his Cosby football program.

And on Friday night against Union County, McMahon used his rangy 6-foot-2 frame to validate every ounce of Cooper’s excitement.

He caught one touchdown pass in the back right corner of the end zone, made a key interception to set up Cosby’s first score of the night, and snagged his second pick on a goal-line interception with just over a minute to go, all but sealing a 26-20 win for Cosby that avenged last season’s three-score loss to the Patriots in Maynardville.

The Eagle victory capped a dramatic night on The Hill. That night began with Buffalo-themed shirts and helmet stickers, as well as a moment of silence to honor Ward Williams, a beloved Cosby alumnus who died last week at the age of 29.

Then in the third quarter, the emotions grew even more tense when Union County quarterback Brayden Beasley was taken off on a stretcher.

Thankfully Beasley was released from UT Medical Center early Saturday morning, suffering what was ultimately ruled as a sprained hip.

But things looked much more frightening with the glow of ambulance lights inside Virgil Ball Stadium Friday.

Cosby defensive lineman Brett Korn went over to check on Beasley after making the tackle on that play, and the Eagles came together in a huddle to pray for the Patriots’ No. 7.

“Brett was really shaken up,” said Cooper. “These kids are all competitors and want to play football, but they know that at any time, that can be them. It’s a violent game. That’s what makes us love it so much, but they know the risk involved. Our kids’ hearts went out to him, wanting to make sure he was okay.”

After the game, Cooper — who swapped out his head coaching hat for his athletic director role as the situation unfolded — noted his appreciation for the way the situation was handled in the moment.

“I’ve definitely been in that situation a few times, and I thought our administration handled it well,” he said. “Within seconds we were on the phone with an ambulance, and Danny Ray Reece, our SRO, was coordinating with the medical team. We had paramedics on site and a stand-in trainer because we don’t currently have one on staff.

“Matt Cahoon, our stand-in, did a great job and led most of the operation. Really pleased as an AD of how our administration took care of that kid, and the big delay was us waiting on the ambulance from Newport. Everyone knew what to do and how to handle it, and obviously our thoughts and prayers go out to him.”

After the injury, the Patriots broke their huddle with one word: “Beasley!”

As they did, Cooper spoke on the headset with former head coach Kevin Hall, who detailed how things could unfold after such a dramatic and lengthy delay.

“After the incident with the kid going down, we said one of two things would happen: we’ll either blow this thing wide open, or they’ll rally and play for their guys,” Cooper said.

After battling back from a 19-0 deficit earlier in the night, the Patriots chose the latter.

Backup quarterback Brandon Reed rolled out and found receivers Bryson Beeler and Josh Brown during their next possession, putting the Patriots at the Cosby one-yard-line.

They punched in a score on the next play, but with a mishandled snap, the score stood at 26-20 Cosby with 7:36 left to play.

Cosby almost gave the ball back to the Patriots on the next possession, but recovered a first-down fumble before punting.

Except the ball only traveled approximately 20 yards off the foot of River Shropshire, putting UCHS at the Cosby 19-yard-line.

Cooper voiced his frustration after the punt, screaming, “Wake up and play! You ain’t beaten them yet!”

Cosby compounded its mistakes with an unsportsmanlike penalty call that put the Patriots at the opposing 15-yard-line.

The Eagles’ defense came up with a stop, though, as a fourth-down pass went in and out of a receiver’s hands in the end zone.

Again, the Cosby offense went three-and-out deep in its own territory.

And after the Patriots took over, a roughing-the-passer penalty brought them within striking distance once more.

But when Union County tried to take another shot for the end zone, McMahon rose up and made the play of the night.

“Offensively, we put the ball on the ground but didn’t turn it over, we had a really bad punt that went went off the side of River’s foot, a really inopportune penalty, and things of that nature,” Cooper reflected. “We compounded their effort with some mistakes, but really proud of how the defense held them right there.“

Cosby gained a quick first down to put the game away, and Cooper’s team was left to celebrate the way it had earlier in the night.

On the Patriots’ first possession, Cosby’s Mason Williams recovered a fumble. But the Eagles could not cash in during a first quarter that ended with both teams tied at zero.

McMahon made his first pick early in the second quarter, soaring over receivers to give Cosby possession at the opposing 34-yard-line.

Six plays later, the Eagles punched in their first score of the night on a seven-yard run from David Baker.

Devonte Wigfall came up with his own interception on the Patriots’ next drive, and Matthew McMahan found McMahon for his aforementioned touchdown from 22 yards out.

“It was great,” said Cooper of McMahon’s performance. “He had the type of night that we all envisioned he could have, and my man actually called his shot — he said, ‘Coach, I’ve got you a touchdown tonight. It’s happening.’

“And I said, ‘Alright man, we’ll get you the ball.’ He played his tail off, and he’s a matchup nightmare on both sides of the ball. We’re glad he decided to give this a shot.”

Following another Union County three-and-out, Wigfall flipped the field once more with a 42-yard punt return that put the Eagles at the Union County 18-yard-line.

Williams took the load from there, as he bulldozed through multiple defenders en route to the end zone.

Following the PAT, Cosby led 19-0 with 4:37 left in the first half.

“When we got up on them 19-0 early, we knew that wasn’t going to be indicative of the final score,” Cooper said. “We got some breaks early and had good field position, but they made adjustments.”

Indeed Union County did, with Beasley rolling out to find receiver Kyle Olszewski to put the Patriots at the Cosby two-yard-line.

They found the end zone shortly thereafter, making the score 19-8 at halftime.

After deferring in the coin toss, Cosby took the ball to start the third quarter but went three-and-out.

Meanwhile the Patriots kept pounding, with Beasley tossing a floater to his tight end to make the game a one-score affair with 5:43 left in the third quarter.

With Cosby needing an answer, Cooper said his mind immediately went to his most dynamic player: Wigfall.

Sure enough, on the next possession, McMahan laced a 72-yard pass to a streaking No. 6, who sped the rest of the way to put the Eagles back at a two-score lead.

“When you get in situations, you want to think, ‘Players not plays,’” Cooper explained later. “And whenever we get in a spot, my immediate thought is, ‘How can I get Devonte the football?’

“He’s so dynamic for us and impacts us all over the field. And his leadership and the way he’s taken that to another level this year, I couldn’t be any more proud of the kid. He amazes me every week with some of the stuff he’s able to do.”

The touchdown proved the ultimate difference in the game, as Cosby held off the Patriots in the end.

“(Union County) really rallied and wanted to play for their teammate, but ultimately we did what we needed to do to when the football game,” Cooper said.

Up next, Cosby will look toward region play when it hosts Unaka next week.

With regard to his team’s region struggles last season, Cooper offered a rousing message to his team in the postgame huddle: “We were the punching bag last year. Not anymore.”

That has certainly applied the first few weeks, with Cosby beating Cumberland Gap and UCHS to go with a close loss to Cherokee — three games the Eagles lost in lopsided fashion last year.

But as excited as Cosby’s players will be to continue their start, no one in blue will forget Friday’s events.

Not the game itself.

Not the dose of reality brought by Beasley’s injury.

And certainly not the pregame sadness they felt in honoring Williams, either.

“Being there to coach him and be with him as this fight went on, it’s been a tough week,” said Cooper of Williams’ impact. “But I’m glad we were able to honor him. It got a little emotional on the field, then I got tickled because I thought, ‘Ward would kick me in the back of the leg if he knew I was down here shedding a tear.’

“There will be some type of permanent monument in his honor. Glad our coaches could wear the shirts and that we had the stickers. We love him and his family and everything they mean to our community, and I am going to miss him.”