Friendship Christian School

COMMANDERS
Division I, Class 2A High School Football
2011 State Champions
2011 State Champs
2011 State Champs
A Special Section of The Lebanon Democrat and Mt. Juliet News
2 Friendship Christian State Championship 2011
Well Done,
Commanders!
1079 Weston Dr. Mt. Juliet 758-7745
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Treating you like family!
Aaron Pryor, DDS
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A AU UT TO O V VI I L LL LA AG G E E
4 41 14 4 S S. . C C u u m mb b e e r r l l a a n n d d S St t . .
L L e e b b a a n n o o n n, , T TN N 3 37 70 08 87 7
6 61 15 5- - 4 44 43 3- - 0 09 91 12 2
6 61 15 5- - 4 44 43 3- -2 23 36 66 6
R RI I C CK KE EY Y W WI I N NF F R RE EE E S S
A AU UT TO O V VI I L LL LA AG G E E
1 10 01 11 1 W W. . M Ma a i i n n S St t r r e e e e t t
L L e e b b a a n n o o n n, , T TN N 3 37 70 08 87 7
6 61 15 5- -5 54 47 7- - 4 49 91 11 1
By ANDY REED, Sports Editor
Entering the 2011 football season, Friendship
Christian was on a roll of playoff appearances,
having appeared in every TSSAA postseason of
the 21st century.
The Commanders had size, speed and, at most
positions, experience. The big glaring question?
Concern is quarterback, not experienced
back there and not having Brennan, said John Mc-
Neal on the eve of his 23rd season in charge of the
Commanders.
Brennan is Brennan Swindoll, a hard-
throwing left-handed junior who earned All-State
honors in baseball as a freshman after going 14-1
with an earned-run average of just over 1.00. He
missed his sophomore season due to Tommy John
surgery, which isnt uncommon for pitchers. But
his injury didnt come from throwing a ball. It
came from making a tackle during the previous
years playoff win over Marion County. He didnt
start throwing again until 2011 fall practice.
The other signal callers were seniors Tallon
Mehlhoff and Kyle Wood, the latter a running back
in previous years.
Otherwise, the Commanders appeared to be in
good shape heading into the season.
Were going to be big up front and we do have
goodspeed, McNeal said. All of the skill guys runwell.
Its probably the most speed weve had all together.
Week 0: Aug. 19
Donelson Christian 28,
Friendship Christian 20
Though not in the same league except a six-
year run in the 1990s these schools draw many of
their students fromthe same Mt. Juliet/Hermitage/Old
Hickory area. Thus, they are rivals despite the off-and-
on appearances on each others schedules.
Theyre both usually pretty good, too.
The Commanders overcame a first-half safety to
go up 20-8 in the third quarter, a margin they held until
the final 2:08 of the game when DCAstunned the Pir-
tle Field faithful with three touchdowns on a series of
fourth-down conversions, an onside kick recovery and
a pick-six for an insurance score.
There were like eight things that happened in
that last three minutes and none of them went our
way, McNeal said. If we get just one of the eight, we
win the ballgame.
Week 1: Aug. 26
Friendship Christian 21,
White House-Heritage 7
The Commanders made their own momentum
by recovering a game-opening onside kick, setting up
Swindolls 11-yard scoring flip to senior receiver Dal-
ton Patterson.
Senior running back Dekolas Reeves ran for 118
yards, including scores covering 4 and 7 yards, as the
Commanders collected 243 rushing yards.
From early losses
to winning it all
Friendship Christians Ben Dunn (70) brings down Dresdens Gatlin
Hatchel in the first quarter of the BlueCross Bowl.
Friendship Christian State Championship 2011 3
Week 2: Sept. 2
Gordonsville 26,
Friendship Christian 20
The Commanders had a chance to pull a DCA-type comeback but
came up short as they fell to 1-2 for the first time in years.
Friendship scored first as freshman Steven Hollis returned the
opening kickoff 79 yards for a 7-0 lead.
Eventually, the Commanders would build an identity as a power-
running team. But on this early-season night, they were stopped cold
by the Tigers in the first half. They still trailed just 14-13 at the break
after Zach Lo recovered a fumble and Wood, on a halfback pass, hit a
leaping Patterson for a 54-yard touchdown.
Two Payton Watson-to-Vincent Escobedo touchdown tosses
helped Gordonsville build a 26-13 lead with five minutes to play.
Friendship fought back with a 15-yard scoring strike from Swin-
doll to tight end Drew Hutchison with just under two minutes to play.
Mitchell Lester recovered the ensuing onside kick at midfield and
Friendship drove to the Gordonsville 31-yard line. But Watson inter-
cepted a pass inside the 10 and the Commanders started their Region
4-A schedule in an 0-1 hole.
I was kind of hoping that one might have been in our favor to
kind of redeem ourselves from the first game, McNeal said. We did
some things well to be able to have a chance. In the first half in the
two games were talking about, we havent done a whole lot. In the
second half, weve come out and moved the football and did the things
we needed to do to make it happen.
But the Commanders, a state contender in recent years, had all
but fallen out of the discussion, not that it bothered the coach.
I kind of liked it because our kids never doubted, McNeal said
at the end of the season. But it got us off the radar, to relax a little bit.
Week 3: Sept. 9
Friendship Christian 55,
Clay County 6
More than once upon a time, Celina inflicted playoff disappoint-
ment on Friendship. Now, this trip started a run of three straight get-
well victories for the Commanders, who led 20-0 in the first quarter and
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Friendship Christians Tallon Mehlhoff finds an open route for a touchdown as Dalton Paterson (5) and Connor
Gaine (52) help clear a path.
4 Friendship Christian State Championship 2011
41-0 at halftime.
Reeves racked up 69 rushing yards, including
two early touchdowns. Mehlhoff owned the second
quarter with a rushing touchdown, a passing score to
Hutchison and a pick-six interception return.
The Commanders compiled 229 rushing yards
and 290 total.
Week 4: Sept. 16
Friendship Christian 45,
Jackson County 0
The Commanders pitched the first of back-to-
back shutouts as Jackson County was thrown for
minus-32 rushing yards.
On the flip side, Friendship thrived with the run-
ning game as Reeves racked up 173 yards and four
scores [on runs of 79, 11, 34 and 15 yards] in the first
three quarters for a 38-0 lead.
Because of an injury to Swindoll, Mehlhoff
took all the snaps at quarterback until the game got
out of hand and ran for 115 yards and a score.
Week 5: Sept. 23
Friendship Christian 55,
Pickett County 0
With Swindoll sitting out a second straight
week, Mehlhoff threw a 32-yard touchdown to Ste-
fan Remus on the games first play and added a 13-
yard scoring run later in the first quarter which
ended with Friendship in front 28-0. It was 48-zip
by halftime.
Friendship ran just 18 offensive plays, including
just five in the second half as the clock ran continu-
ously. That was enough snaps for the Commanders
to run for 287 yards.
Pickett County was held to 69 yards, including
just 20 on the ground.
Week 6: Sept. 29
Trousdale County 17,
Friendship Christian 0
For the first time, MyTV30 shined its Thursday
Night Lights series on a Class A game as a Middle
Tennessee television audience watched the perennial
state powerhouses resume their annual grudge match
on the legendary Creekbank in Hartsville.
Since a season-opening loss at Kentucky power
Warren Central, Trousdale County was enjoying a
typical dominating year.
The only dominating in this game was by the
defenses as the teams played to a scoreless first-
half tie after Patterson blocked a late Trousdale
field-goal try.
After some halftime adjustments in the Trous-
dale locker room, the Yellow Jackets controlled the
football almost the entire third quarter. Devon
Turczyn broke the shutout with a 30-yard run on
third and 11.
Dre Crenshawthen intercepted a pass and Mack
Sanders kicked a 28-yard field for a 10-0 lead going
into the fourth quarter.
Hunter Murphree picked off another Friendship
pass, then threw one into the end zone where Hollis
batted it into the air and into the arms of receiver
Garrett Crafton for the final score.
We didnt help ourselves offensively, and as
hard as we fought on defense, we still gave up some
big plays when we had them pinned back a few
times, McNeal said.
Week 7: Oct. 7
Friendship Christian 54,
Watertown 14
At 4-3, there was no talk of a state champi-
onship coming to PossumTown. While much of Wil-
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Friendship Christians Dalton Patterson picks up yardage on an interception
return during the BlueCross Bowl.
Friendship Christian State Championship 2011 5
son County was focused on Mt. Juliets unbeaten
Bears and on Lebanons final game at Nokes-
Lasater Field, Watertown was bringing a 6-0
record to Coles Ferry Pike.
We wanted to get in the playoffs, McNeal
said almost two months later. It was as big a
game as we had all year that we had to win that
one to set the tone for the playoffs. We came out
and played, to that point, probably the best game
wed played all year.
We turned the corner right there.
The Commanders scored on seven of their
eight first-half possessions in building a 47-0 half-
time lead. They scored 33 in the second quarter
alone. Wood scored three times and Reeves twice.
Our offense played more physical, Mc-
Neal said, a foretaste of what was to come from
his unit. I was pleased with all three aspects of
the game in the first half.
Week 9: Oct. 21
Friendship Christian 63,
Red Boiling Springs 6
After an open date, the Commanders wel-
comed Red Boiling Springs to Pirtle Field for
homecoming.
A frequent homecoming guest at various
schools for years, RBS was showing signs of im-
provement in 2011.
But not on this night as the Commanders
rolled to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and a 49-0 half-
time margin.
Reeves needed just four carries to gain 164
yards, including home-run touchdowns of 61
and 86 yards. Wood, a bruising counterpart to
Reeves slashing style, added scoring runs of
15 and 25 yards.
Oh, and Ashlynn McNeal, the coachs
daughter, was named homecoming queen.
Week 10: Oct. 28
Friendship Christian 58,
Monterey 7
The Commanders season finale wasnt the
biggest thing happening in Commander Nation
this week.
FCSvolleyball teamwas tearing through its
first State Tournament appearance. The football
Commanders took a side trip to Murfreesboro and
cheered from the Murphy Center stands as Kait-
lyn Teeter, Ali Burroughs &Co. buried Summer-
town for the schools second TSSAA state
championship [joining McNeals 2007 baseball
team].
McNeal congratulated volleyball coach
RandyAlley on the indoor track, then hustled the
football teamonto the bus for the trip to the Cum-
berland Plateau.
Climbing the mountain may have been
harder than conquering the Wildcats, who fell be-
hind 30-0 in the first quarter and 51-zip at half-
time. Four different Commanders scored in the
first period and Reeves added a second in the sec-
ond. In addition to having a strong arm, Swindoll,
who finally hit his stride as a passer after the
Trousdale game, ran for 114 yards and the games
first touchdown on eight carries.
Monterey, with just a couple of seniors on
the roster, ran the single-wing offense, the first
such attack a Friendship defense had faced since
the late 1980s. But Duane Lowes unit had no
problems with it, even getting a touchdown on
linebacker Ian Putmans fumble recovery in the
end zone early in the second quarter.
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State Champions
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Friendships Cale Mitchell launches a punt into the wind during the third quarter at
the BlueCross Bowl.
6 Friendship Christian State Championship 2011
2011 Friendship Christian School
Commanders Depth Chart
OFFENSE
QB #9 Tallon Mehlhoff
#11 Brennan Swindoll
RB #26 Dekolas Reeves
#7 Zach Lo
WR #10 Cale Mitchell
#12 Stefan Remus
WR #13 Drew Erie
#1 Parker Pinnell
WR #5 Dalton Patterson
#2 Steven Hollis
TE #6 Drew Hutchison
#18 Aaron Johnson
LT #52 Connor Gaines
#53 Colton Gaines
LG #62 Ian Isbell
#54 Jordan Farris
C #72 Austin Defevers
#70 Ben Dunn
RG #55 Tanner Martin
#60 Blake Petty
RT #74 Gregg Norton
#61 Andrew Wood
DEFENSE
DT #70 Ben Dunn
#72 Austin Defevers
NG #20 Mitchell Lester
#55 Tanner Martin
DT #52 Connor Gaines
#62 Ian Isbell
OLB #9 Tallon Mehlhoff
#50 Justin Truszkowski
Friendship Christian State Championship 2011 7
ILB #21 Ian Putman
#26 Dekolas Reeves
ILB #24 Kyle Wood
#19 Daniel Watson
OLB #18 Aaron Johnson
#17 Zack Erhard
CB #7 Zach Lo
#12 Stefan Remus
SS #10 Cale Mitchell
#8 Austin Taylor
FS #5 Dalton Patterson
#22 Adam Neal
CB #2 Steven Hollis
#15 Michael Hawks
SPECIAL TEAMS
P #10 Cale Mitchell
#9 Tallon Mehlhoff
PK #12 Stefan Remus
#80 Hunter Anderson
2011 Friendship Christian School
Commanders
No. Name Height Weight Class
1 Parker Pinnell 6-1 140 Fr.
2 Steven Hollis 5-8 140 Fr.
3 Mason Reeves 5-2 120 8th
5 Dalton Patterson 6-0 158 Sr.
6 Drew Hutchison 6-3 200 Sr.
7 Zach Lo 5-7 180 Sr.
8 Austin Taylor 5-9 160 Fr.
9 Tallon Mehlhoff 6-0 205 Sr.
10 Cale Mitchell 5-11 180 Jr.
11 Brennan Swindoll 6-3 190 Jr.
12 Stefan Remus 5-11 160 Jr.
13 Drew Erie 5-7 155 Sr.
15 Michael Hawks 5-9 150 So.
17 Zack Erhard 5-11 155 Sr.
18 Aaron Johnson 6-0 180 Sr.
19 Daniel Watson 5-11 150 Sr.
20 Mitchell Lester 5-8 155 Sr.
21 Ian Putman 6-0 185 Sr.
22 Adam Neal 5-9 145 So.
24 Kyle Wood 6-0 210 Sr.
26 Dekolas Reeves 5-7 160 Sr.
34 Cody Walker 5-10 200 Fr.
50 Justin Truszkowski 5-9 145 So.
52 Connor Gaines 6-3 265 Sr.
53 Colton Gaines 6-2 220 Fr.
54 Jordan Farris 5-11 230 Jr.
55 Tanner Martin 6-0 225 Jr.
59 Jeff Cherry 5-11 205 Fr.
60 Blake Petty 5-10 205 Sr.
61 Andrew Wood 6-4 250 Fr.
62 Ian Isbell 6-2 275 Jr.
64 Elijah Eatherly 6-0 175 So.
66 Jonathan Luck 5-4 145 8th
67 Joshua Eatherly 5-4 150 8th
70 Ben Dunn 6-1 265 jr.
72 Austin Defevers 6-3 240 Sr.
73 Nick Norton 5-5 150 8th
74 Gregg Norton 6-0 240 Jr.
75 Bradley Bates 5-8 145 Fr.
77 Luke Shoulders 5-3 140 8th
80 Hunter Anderson 5-11 160 Sr.
Head Coach: John McNeal
Assistants: Jody Atwood, Shaun Caven,
Sean Corbitt, Josh Derr, Duane Lowe, Ron Welch
President: Jon Shoulders
Principal: Randall Dunn
Athletic Director: John McNeal
Colors: Green, White, Gold
8 Friendship Christian State Championship 2011
109 North Castle Heights Avenue Lebanon, Tennessee 37087
Phone 615.444.1433 Fax (Legal) 615.443.8775 Fax (Real Estate) 615.443.3846
www.rma-law.com
CONGRATULATIONS
ONAGREAT SEASON!
PLAYOFFS
Round 1: Nov. 4
Friendship Christian 42,
Jackson County 0
One of the criticisms of the current playoff format is the num-
ber of rematches of regular-season games. Often, the team which
lost in the regular season wins in the playoffs.
Fortunately for Friendship, this rematch was a repeat, almost
down to the final score, though it came about quite differently.
The Commanders held just a 7-0 halftime lead on Lesters re-
covery of a blocked punt in the end zone.
The offense cranked up in the second half as Reeves scored
on runs of 5, 75 and 30 yards.
Punting continued to be a nightmare for Jackson County [not
the last time that aspect of the game would kill a Commander op-
ponent] as Remus returned a blocked kick 10 yards to the hours
and Patterson returned a punt 50 yards for the final score as Friend-
ship won a repeat trip to Trousdale County for another rematch.
Round 2: Nov. 11
Friendship Christian 24,
Trousdale County 14
This was the sixth playoff meeting between the teams the
most common matchup for the Commanders, who had lost the
previous five since 1994. Some were close, more were blowouts.
All were at the Creekbank. Counting regular-season play, Friend-
ship had won in Hartsville only once previously, in 2007, which
was the Commanders last win in the series. FCS had beaten the
Yellow Jackets just four times through the decades.
All that history was thrown out the window on this night as
the Commanders took it to the Jackets early and often.
Hunter Andersons 25-yard field goal gave Friendship a 3-0
start. After Trousdale moved in front, Patterson dove for a fourth-
down Wood pass in the end zone between two Jacket defenders
and slid out with the ball and a 10-7 lead.
Friendship never trailed again, preserv-
ing the lead in the third quarter when Patter-
son picked off a Murphree pass in the end
zone.
Wood pounded the ball into the end
zone on a 6-yard run early in the fourth quar-
ter and again froma yard out on fourth down
after Trousdale scored in between.
Hollis and Cale Mitchell intercepted
passes on Trousdales final two drives to end
the Yellow Jackets season at least a week
and possibly three earlier than expected.
The passing game helped us. Last time,
it hurt us, McNeal said. We hit some big
plays off of it and it made a huge difference
and helped our running game. We just lined
up and went downhill, and it helped to use
the passes to be able to loosen them up.
Quarterfinals: Nov. 18
Friendship Christian 21,
Boyd-Buchanan 20, overtime
If Trousdale Co. wasnt the top-ranked
team in Class 2A, Boyd-Buchanan was.
The Buccaneers had also had their way
with Friendship in previous playoffs, blow-
ing out the Commanders in three straight
years. But they hadnt met since 2004 and
this turned out to be a new era.
Friendship led 7-0 and 14-6 at halftime
on a pair of 5-yard runs by Wood.
Boyd-Buchanan tied the game on a 56-
yard run and a two-point pass in the third
quarter.
Then it was on to an overtime to re-
member. Boyd-Buchanan scored on a 10-
yard second-down run by Jim Cardwell. But
the extra point was blocked and the Bucca-
neers were vulnerable when Friendship came
to bat on the Bucs 10-yard line.
It came down to a fourth-down play that
will be discussed [and possibly cussed in
Chattanooga] for quite some time.
From the 6, Swindoll scrambled to his
left and toward the pylon. He was hit and
dove toward the goal line. Whether he landed
with the ball on the line or bounced over may
be debated forever.
But upon further review, McNeal was
convinced the score was good.
Our film shows he didnt [bounce],
McNeal said the following week. Some-
body took a picture and hes right there with
him on the line. Brennans laying on he
ground with the ball over the line looking up
at the official. He may have bounced, but he
bounced up and down, not forward.
Picture shows he was over and film
shows he was over.
Swindoll dislocated his passing thumb
on the play, and it became a possible issue
after Anderson kicked the game-winning
extra point.
Semifinals: Nov. 25
Friendship Christian 39,
Oliver Springs 6
With wins over the top two teams in 2A,
it appeared the Commanders road to their
first-ever state championship would run
downhill.
McNeal didnt see it that way.
Friendships Kyle Wood (24) makes the end zone to score during the BlueCross Bowl. Austin Taylor (8) is
seen at left.
Friendship Christian State Championship 2011 9
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The pressure was kind of more
after that than it was before, McNeal
said of the Trousdale-Boyd hump. Peo-
ple were going You beat one and two.
That isnt always how it works. You still
got to finish it.
And the Commanders, playing past
Thanksgiving for the second time in
school history, began to finish it east of the
Plateau.
The big offensive line was too strong
for Oliver Springs. And if a Bobcat de-
fender still got to Swindoll, Wood or
Mehlhoff, they took care of the tackler
themselves. And they often didnt catch
Reeves, who bolted for 130 yards and a
touchdown on 14 carries as the Com-
manders compiled 434 yards of offense.
And Swindolls dislocated thumb?A
non-issue as he hit all five passes for 89
yards. Three of the completions went for
touchdowns, including a pair to Patterson.
Our quarterbacks are physical, Mc-
Neal said. They run the ball hard. We
threw the ball when we needed to. Over-
all, up front, its one of the most physical
teams. We have some other people to go
with it.
Oliver Springs was held to 223 yards
and didnt score until the final minute as
all three phases of the Commanders
bought a Black Friday victory, complete
with a trip to the BlueCross Bowl.
Our defense has done that all year,
McNeal said. Even in the losses, they
played well. Theyve been consistent
throughout the whole year. We told our
guys, Defense, just do what youve been
doing. Offense, help themout. Lets move
the football, lets put some points on the
board. I felt like if we do that, then the
defense can secure the win.
Overall, it was one of the better
games all season kicking, offense,
defense.
BlueCross Bowl: Dec. 3
Friendship Christian 34,
Dresden 0
A year after FCS 1973 opening, the
schools first football team, comprised of
7th-9th-graders, played a five-game
schedule under Coach Ken Beck. The
Commanders closed the season with a trip
to Cookeville for a game against Putnam
County at Tennessee Techs Tucker Sta-
dium. FCS dressed just 14 and perhaps 50
parents and supporters were in the stands.
Thirty-seven seasons after that
humble beginning, a group of 41 Com-
mander players returned to Cookeville to
climb the final rung on Tennessees high
school football ladder winning a state
championship. FCS Nation appeared to
occupy over 60 percent of the home-side
grandstand.
A strong southerly breeze swept
across the 24-7 artificial turf. It made for a
comfortable early December day for
Friendships ground attack but was a
stormy gale to Dresdens kicking game.
After running eight plays for 57
yards, all on the ground, Friendship led 7-
0 on a 12-yard run by Reeves, who fin-
Friendship Christian President Jon Shoulders hugs football coach John McNeal as the team
takes the field in celebration.
10 Friendship Christian State Championship 2011
Friendship Christians football teamwasnt the first state champion to call PossumTown home this year. Five weeks before the football Com-
manders hoisted the Class 2A championship hardware at Tennessee Tech, the Lady Commander volleyball team completed a title season of
its own at MTSU. Under first-year coach Randy Alley, Friendship rolled to a 47-11 record and a sweep of the Class A State Tournament
behind tourney Most Valuable Player Kaitlyn Teeter. Like football, this was also the first state title for volleyball.
Lady Commanders
Volleyball
Class AState
Tournament Champs
Friendship Christian State Championship 2011 11
We Are So Proud of You!
Congratulations!
214 N. Castle Heights Ave.
Suite A
Lebanon, TN 3707
615-453-9702
Wes Dugan
CLU, LUTCF
Agency Manager
wes.dugan@tfbf.com
Chanda Hagan
Agent
theLettCenter.com
1417B Baddour Pkwy
Lebanon, TN 37087

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ished with 98 yards on 24 carries to earn
Offensive Most Valuable Player honors.
Then the punting game began to be-
tray the Lions.
Connor Gaines blocked a quick kick
on the Dresden 18-yard line and Mehlhoff
ran it in on first down for a 13-0 lead.
With the early lead, McNeal saw no
need to take chances with the wind, leav-
ing the game in the hands of the running
game and rock-hard defense. Patterson,
playing safety, was named Defensive MVP
after posting 12 tackles and an interception.
Dresdens defense put up a valiant
fight against Friendships one-dimensional
offense [Swindoll was 0-of-2 passing with
an interception], even as the Lions were
backed up in their territory most of the af-
ternoon.
But it was the punting that was the
difference. Dresdens rugby-style kicker
was cut off and had to kick from a dead
stop, often popping them straight up into
the teeth of the wind. On the other side,
the left-footed Mitchell kept his kicks low
and lined a couple of them inside the
Lions 20.
Rugby kickers, they want to keep
running and kick on the run, McNeal ex-
plained. Our whole idea was make him
pull up and make himstop to punt.
[Mitchell] kicked well, even in the
wind, McNeal said of the junior, whose
older brother Wade was the punter on the
2006 runner-up teamand a Mr. Football fi-
nalist at middle linebacker. All year, punt-
ing-wise, hes been as good as anybody
weve played against. In the wind, he gave
us an opportunity to at least not have bad
field position.
Down two scores in the fourth quarter,
Dresden coach Scott Hewett could no
longer afford to play the field position
game. He called a fake punt for Colin
Kanehl, who was stopped by Mehlhoff at
the 9. From there, Wood took the direct
snap and rumbled across the goal line on
the next play.
Kanehls next punt went straight upfor
minus-7 yards and out of bounds on the 4,
fromwhere Wood scored on the next play.
Shortly after Austin Taylors only
carry of the day went for a 9-yard touch-
down, McNeal took a Gatorade shower as
the Commanders counted down the clock
for their first football title after 37 years of
trying.
Its so surreal. Its so exciting, said
Wood, in many ways the face of the teamat
middle linebacker, where he followed in the
cleats of earlier Mr. Football finalists Wade
Mitchell and Michael Wheeler.
In fact, other than Wood and Reeves,
who racked up almost 1,400 rushing yards
and 20 touchdowns, this was a blue-collar
teamdevoid of stars.
We dont have a lot of guys with big
numbers, McNeal said. Thats not what we
try to do where we have one guy you got to
try to stop.
We rely on three [facets] our kick-
ing game, our defense and our offensive
line. Were not going to be pretty, but
championships are won with defense.
Friendship Christian football coach John McNeal leaves the field following the Commanders
victory over the Dresden Lions.
Congratulations
Commanders