Evangel beats Arendell Parrott in Gatlinburg thanks to strong first half – Shelby County Reporter

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

GATLINBURG, Ten. – For the second consecutive year, the Evangel Christian Lightning started the season in style with a win in the Gatlinburg Black Bear Brawl, defeating the Arendell Parrott Academy Patriots of North Carolina 38-19 on Saturday, August 10.

However, things didn’t always go smoothly for the Lightning, as they had to fend off the Patriots’ first blow.

After starting the game in plus territory, Arendell Parrott sent a rainbow pass on the third play of the game that found its receiver in the left corner of the end zone on the run. That 25-yard touchdown and ensuing extra point gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead before Evangel’s opening drive.

It took the Lightning a few plays to get going on offense, but they overcame a fourth down attempt with a quarterback run by Kemp Swords that cleared the way for them.

Shortly after, Evangel got lucky with a false start on defense. On the next play, Swords managed a couple of blocks at the end of the line and took advantage of the open space on the 100-yard field to seize the initiative and score a 49-yard touchdown.

Although the Lightning were without a field goal kicker in the opening game, their 2-point run up the middle gave them an 8-7 lead from which they never looked back.

On Arendell Parrott’s next offensive play, Eli Black smothered a pitch to the outside with a big tackle. The tackle was so powerful that it released the ball and Nick Cloud quickly landed on it to recover the fumble and set up his offense at the Patriots 10.

Cloud took advantage of his own turnover and scored a two-yard touchdown up the middle, extending the lead to 14-7.

Arendell Parrott switched to a run-based attack from there. Although he managed the first play of the next drive with a 16-yard run to Evangel’s 32, the next four didn’t go so well as the Lightning forced a turnover.

With just under three minutes left in the first quarter, Swords saw Will Welch deep one-on-one, attempting to score the ball. It didn’t work the first time, but when the exact same scenario arose on the second attempt, the two scored a 68-yard touchdown.

A two-point conversion run by Swords increased the lead to 22-7, but the Patriots countered on their next drive.

On third down deep in his own territory, running back Arendell Parrott found a gap on the right side of the line and ran off for a 68-yard touchdown. The Lightning blocked the ensuing extra point, keeping the score at 22-13 at the start of the second quarter.

The Patriots nearly got even closer after stripping Evangel of the ball on the third play, but the Lightning defense held firm. Arendell Parrott’s next three plays moved the ball one yard back and forced a punt.

Evangel then started a long drive that lasted nearly five minutes. Cade Joiner set up his offense for success with a 29-yard run after a pitch and got to the 28-yard line.

Later in the drive, Swords nearly met disaster when two unblocked attackers got in his face. But it was all part of the plan, as Ethan Stallings leapt off the line and past the defenders to catch Swords’ throw, and he finished the trick play with a 19-yard touchdown.

Welch’s two-point conversion was a success and the lead was now 30-13. The Lightning defense forced another three-and-out and gave the offense another chance to score another point with 2:23 left in the half.

A penalty on the first play nearly ended the chance before it even came, but after fighting his way back to a fourth attempt and fourth, Evangel struck one last time.

Welch caught a short pass from Swords and spun toward the end zone, and his 55-yard touchdown and another two-point conversion gave the Lightning a 38-13 lead at halftime.

From then on, Evangel was on autopilot. Arendell Parrott scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but could only cut the deficit to six points and the Lightning secured the 38-19 victory, extending Alabama’s best-ever winning streak to 34 in a row.

Swords led the offense both through the air and on the ground, completing 11 of 16 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns and running for 94 yards and a touchdown. Welch caught five of those 11 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Cloud had 19 yards on five carries and a touchdown, and Stallings’ 23-yard touchdown accounted for the majority of his 27 receiving yards. Joiner had 33 receiving yards on four catches.

On defense, David Johnson led the way with nine tackles, including two for loss. Black had seven tackles and Welch had six.

The Lightning have a week off before playing three straight games with 11 players, with the first game coming on Friday, August 23 against Abbeville Christian at Larry Simmons Stadium in Alabaster.