Rhea County Steals Region Crown From Walker Valley In A Wild Finish

By: Jay Pace

OnDaMarcSports.com

National Correspondent

CHARLESTON, TN.-Big players make big plays in big games.

On a crisp Halloween night in East Tennessee, Rhea County senior wide receiver Aiden Wilkerson made the biggest play of his career in his team's biggest game in recent memory.

With the score tied at 10 and only seconds left before overtime, RCHS junior QB Jaxton Schmitt launched a beautiful pass into the night sky, hitting a leaping Wilkerson who gathered the ball in near the five yard line before being tackled in the end zone as time expired. Ball Game!!! This big play led to Rhea County closing out a thrilling 16-10 win on the final play of the final game of the regular season.

“I don't know if we’ve had a bigger win as impactful as this one,” said second year RCHS head coach Taylor Harvey. “This program deserves it. This community deserves it.”

Friday night's win secured Rhea County's first region championship since 2021.

A Dream Come True

“It still feels like an out of body experience,” said Wilkerson after the game. ‘It feels like some a crazy dream. It's just surreal.” 

Added Schmitt. ”I knew as soon as I let that ball go that number two was going to go get it.”

Slow Start + Wild Finish = Chaos

A sloppy, penalty marred first half spilled over into the second half as neither team could get out of it’s own way. Much less reach the end-zone.

That finally changed when RCHS struck first following a WVHS turnover on the very first play of the second half. The turnover led to the first points of the night by either team as RCHS took a 3-0 lead less than a minute into the third quarter.

The Mustangs would respond  late in the third quarter putting together a solid drive that ended inside their own 5. WVHS  tied it up at 3 when a 16-yard field goal sailed through the uprights with 1:35 left in the third.

Fugate & Fumbles Set Stage For Memorable Finish

On the ensuing kickoff, RCHS WR Devin Fugate answered with an 85 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving RCHS a 10-3 lead.

Walker Valley responded with another clock choking drive before a fumble inside it's own 10 was recovered by the Eagles.

From there all RCHS had to do was pick up a few first downs and run the clock out.

If it were only so easy. 

Region Champs

Instead of running out the clock, RCHS committed a crucial turnover at the WVHS 19 yard line with 2:32 remaining.

The turnover led to the only WVHS touchdown of the night when Cason Cunningham bulled his way in from the 2 to tie things up at 10 with 34.2 seconds left.

The wild turn of events in the last 2:30 of the game set the stage for a finish no one around here is likely to forget for a very long time.

With the win, RCHS captured the Class 5A Region 3 crown for the first time since 2021. The Eagles will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason beginning next week when they host Lawrence County (7-3).

Walker Valley (7-3) who finished as the no.2 seed will play Tullahoma (5-5) in a first round home game.