Smyrna proved they can win big last Friday (they won by 23) but on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 36-33 victory over the East Nashville Magnet Eagles. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bulldogs have posted since September 29, 2023.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Smyrna to victory, but perhaps none more so than Tyreque McCarver, who picked up 107 receiving yards and two touchdowns. McCarver also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making three total tackles and defending a pass. Smyrna also got a significant boost from Ryan Carver, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 109 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Smyrna was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 203 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 157 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
When it comes to explaining why East Nashville Magnet lost, don't look at Cam Wade. Despite the final result, he picked up 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 100 yards. Dallas Covington was another key player, throwing for 113 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
Smyrna is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a massive bump to their 4-3 record this season. As for East Nashville Magnet, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-2.
After each having a week off, Smyrna and Stewarts Creek will shake off the cobwebs and take on one another at 7:00 p.m. on October 18th. Stewarts Creek is coming into the matchup with three straight victories at home, so Smyrna will have to stop a team with plenty of momentum. As for East Nashville Magnet, it'll be Battle of the Birds when Eagles challenges Cane Ridge at 7:00 p.m. on October 18th. East Nashville Magnet is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 30.3 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
