Football Recap: Juan Mejia's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Johnson County over Pigeon Forge

Johnson County was the 29-15 winner over Pigeon Forge when they last played one another back in October of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Longhorns came up short against the Tigers on Friday, falling 46-20. The Longhorns have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Johnson County lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Juan Mejia, who rushed for 90 yards and one touchdown on only ten carries. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 50 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jonathan 'Jack' Csillag, who rushed for 59 yards and one score.

Even if they lost, Johnson County's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Eli Tester, Csillag, and Haiden Cobb, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Pigeon Forge's side was Tester, who picked up a sack and made 13 total tackles (4.0 for loss).

Ayden Hood continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Pigeon Forge, rushing for 162 yards and three TDs, while also catching one touchdown. That's the most rushing touchdowns Hood has posted since back in August of 2024.

Johnson County's loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-5. As for Pigeon Forge, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-6.

Johnson County will get a bit of extra time to process the defeat as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Gatlinburg-Pittman at 7:00 p.m. on the 24th. The Longhorns will need to watch out since the Highlanders have now posted at least 31 points in their last five games. As for Pigeon Forge, they will head out on the road to take on Cocke County at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Tigers will be up against the Fighting Cocks' rather soft defense (which has allowed 35.86 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.