Blackman returned to action Friday night at the Inferno. The Blaze blasted the Cookeville Cavaliers 45-14 on homecoming night at Blackman.
It was a slow start for the Blaze as they trailed 7-3 in the first quarter. They didn’t trail long, however, as Blackman scored 35 straight points before Cookeville even sniffed the end zone again late in the fourth quarter.
With the lopsided win, Blackman avenged last season’s 31-14 loss at Cookeville.
Here are three big things from the homecoming win:
A huge night for WR Micaleous Elder playing in honor of a fallen friend
Micaleous Elder usually wears the No. 7 when he’s running up and down the sidelines for the Blaze. Friday night, however, Elder wore the No. 20 in honor of friend and former Blaze football player JoJo Owens who passed away last weekend.
Elder scored Blackman’s first touchdown versus the Cavaliers on a 10-yard run in which he punished a Cookeville defender, running through the linebacker at the five-yard-line before scoring.
“That was for JoJo,” the senior said following the game. “I’m usually juking, but I was like I gotta run him over.”
But that wasn’t all for Elder. At 24-7, early in the third quarter, Blackman lined up at the 47-yard line and aired it out to a streaking Elder for a long touchdown play, essentially putting the game out of reach early in the second half.
Following the play, Elder pointed toward the sky dedicating the play of the night to his fallen friend.
Elder is one of three Blaze players committed to play FBS-level College Football next season. He committed to the hometown Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders this past summer.
“I gave it all I got this game, that’s all I know,” said the MTSU commit.
Junior LB Conner Murphy Continues Defensive Dominance
Another name that is constantly uttered over the loudspeaker at Blackman games is that of linebacker Conner Murphy. At times, it seems like there are multiples of the talented athlete. On Friday night, he had too many tackles to count, but three, in particular, stood out.
Just before the half, Murphy made a hit on a Cavalier ball-carrier that put an exclamation point on a defensively-dominated first half. Early in the second half, Murphy had a key sack on the quarterback. He was involved in another tackle for loss as well.
“They talked a little trash in the beginning and we had to show them what was up,” said the talented multi-sport athlete following the game. “Our whole team just flows to the ball. We’re starting to really click.”
Knox, Otey stand out yet again
Trey Knox and Adonis Otey, the pair of Arkansas commits, had big nights yet again. Knox caught a pass over the middle which went for 35-yards and a touchdown just before halftime to give the Blaze a 17-7 lead.
Knox was also a force on defense registering multiple sacks early in the third quarter when Blackman started pulling away from Cookeville.
Otey had a field-reversing, 36-yard touchdown run for the Blaze to open the second half scoring. He later scored on a three-yard scamper to put the Blaze up 38-7 in the fourth quarter.
Blackman has two more regular season games remaining--both at the Inferno. Next Friday, the Blaze will host Stewarts Creek before concluding the regular season versus rival Riverdale on October 26.