Lenoir City was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their eighth straight defeat. They took a 35-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Ooltewah Owls. While the Panthers had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Owls 7-0.
Lenoir City's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Trea Jones, who rushed for 179 yards while picking up 7.5 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Jay, who rushed for 85 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries.
Ooltewah got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Rhylon Hinton out in front who rushed for 72 yards and one TD on only five carries, and also threw for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes. Those 72 rushing yards gave Hinton a new career-high. Ooltewah's leading receiver Griffin Patterson was Hinton's top target yet again, picking up 121 receiving yards and two scores, while also punching in one rushing score.
Lenoir City's defeat dropped their record down to 1-8. As for Ooltewah, they moved to 2-7 with that victory, which also ended their six-game losing streak.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Lenoir City will host Soddy Daisy at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Panthers will be up against the Trojans' rather soft defense (which has allowed 27 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Ooltewah, they will welcome Hardin Valley Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
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