Oneida comes up short
By Shane Gilreath
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Oneida’s season came to a dramatic close this weekend with a hard-fought 21-6 playoff loss to undefeated Gordonsville in a game that was closer than the final score suggests.
Midway through the third quarter, the Indians trailed just 7-6 with some momentum on their side inside the 40-yard line. Even with mere minutes left in the game, it remained a tight 7-6 contest with an upset brewing, but deep in the fourth quarter, the Tigers showed why they are one of Tennessee’s top Class 2A teams, scoring two late touchdowns to put the game definitively out of reach.
Despite the loss, Oneida out gained the Tigers with 300 yards of offense to Gordonsville’s 266. Ben Gilbert led the way with 99 rushing yards, including a 54-yard burst, while Brock Ryon completed 22 of 33 passes for 199 yards. Grady Keeton finished with six receptions and the touchdown. Defensively, Gilbert and Waylon Hill each tallied 12 tackles.
Despite a devastating loss, the Indians pushed one of the state’s best to the brink, forcing Gordonsville to come up with a late surge to close out the game.
