By Stephen Hargis Assistant Sports Editor - tfponline.com
LEBANON , Tenn. — Jeremy Rickaway was looking to make a point. Consider it made.
The junior running back shredded Tennessee Temple’s defense, gaining 292 yards on 28 carries and scoring six touchdowns to lead the second ranked Commanders to a 54-7 Class 1A quarterfinal victory." He’s big, he’s fast and he runs hard," Temple coach Kevin Skogen said. "We knew coming into the game that he’s a very good runner, and he showed that tonight." After three straight trips to the quarterfinals, Friendship advances to the semifinals for the first time in program history. The Commanders (13-0) will host Hampton. Because the Commanders’ average margin of victory was 32 points this season, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Rickaway rarely played in the second half of games. But he was counted on heavily after talented freshman John Markham left late in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.
The extra work suited Rickaway fine as he ran 19 times for 127 yards and four TDs in the first half, and the Commanders raced to a 33-7 halftime lead.
"When John went out, I said to myself that I had to put more on my shoulders," Rickaway said. "I know we’ve got other good backs on this team, but when they need me to step up, I’ll do it.
"This means the world to us to finally get past the third round."
After opening the game with a 69-yard scoring drive, capped by Rickaway’s 1-yard scoring dive on fourth-and-goal, Friendship Christian held Temple and took a two-score lead when Rickaway bolted 52 yards for a TD.
Temple (12-1) cut the deficit to 12-7 on the next play from scrimmage as Mr. Football finalist Seth Skogen took a screen pass, broke two tackles and raced 60 yards for a TD.
"I thought we were going to get things going our way right then, because we got the ball back and could have taken the lead," Seth Skogen said. "But we started turning the ball over and shooting ourselves in the foot and the wheels just came off."
The Commanders dominated the final six minutes of the second quarter, taking advantage of two Temple fumbles, and scoring a pair of TDs in the final 1:43. In the second half, Friendship Christian intercepted three passes, all inside its own 30. "We had a 15-week story we were writing, but this is not how we wanted it to end," Coach Skogen said. "But that doesn’t take anything away fro m what this team accomplished." top
