Chuckey-Doak’s Hayden Roper named Week 1 Player of the Week

LOWER AFTON, Tenn. (WJHL) – Chuckey-Doak and Unaka combined for a whopping 117 points to open the 2024 high school football season in Northeast Tennessee.

In the end, the Black Knights wrangled the Rangers for a 71-46 victory.

“I ain’t had that much fun in a long time,” Black Knights senior running back and linebacker Hayden Roper said. “It’s just – you go out there – you don’t know for sure if you’re gonna score, but you just feel like you are every time.”

“We did some really good things, particularly on offense,” head coach Billy Kaylor said. “Obviously, Hayden had a huge night.”

Roper dominated on the ground, scoring six touchdowns in the non-conference win.

“The best part about it is you talk to Hayden and he says, ‘I was just running, having fun playing football,'” Kaylor said.

“I was just out there having fun,” Roper said. “Me and the team just had a lot of energy together.”

It was enough energy to set a new single-game school record with 366 rushing yards, in addition to those six scores.

“I try not to get a big head about all that stuff,” Roper said. “I mean, yeah, it’s pretty cool. But, it’s nothing. I mean, somebody else can break it next year.”

Kaylor said the only thing more impressive than the senior’s humble nature is the work ethic he brings each day.

“He wants to play ball,” he answered. “I think we’d have to drag him off the field if he couldn’t play. And that’s the best part about it – you want a kid that lays it out there every time he plays.”

Roper also turned in 15 tackles from his spot an inside linebacker on Friday, proving he’s a guy that sets the tone on both sides of the ball.”

“I know most of these guys look up to me because I’m a senior and all that,” he said. “I just want to do good for them so they can see that and want to do the same thing I’m doing.”

“He’s a leader in how he plays, and that’s hard to coach,” Kaylor said.

Chuckey-Doak (1-0) looks to continue its downhill offensive effort at Grainger on Friday.

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