This year’s Clinton-Oak Ridge matchup was a far better football game than we’ve seen for several years. Although Oak Ridge prevailed 35-9, Clinton is not a team to be taken lightly.

They’re bigger. They capitalize on any mistake by the opposing team. They can run, and they can tackle. The stadium was standing room only until the last three minutes of the game, following Oak Ridge’s final score.

Clinton narrowly missed a touchdown at the end of the first half that would have put them in the lead, thanks to Oak Ridge’s having scored a 2-point touchback for them in the beginning. Had they closed the first half in the lead, it might have been a different ball game in the second half.

On the way home, I was surprised to hear that Maryville beat Alcoa, given that Alcoa now has Gary Rankin, formerly of state powerhouse Riverdale. Enjoy it now though, as I expect that after a couple of years of building that team, Alcoa’s going to be fearsome.

Still, the Wildcats showed a few good tricks of their own; Connor Gulmire has quite an arm. And he’s fast. With some hard work and support from the fans, we could have a really good season ahead.

I love football!