For a time Friday in Black Mountain, football was forgotten.
With 2:21 left in the third quarter of Polk County’s Western Highlands Conference opener at Owen, sophomore wide receiver RJ Simpson returned to the Polk sideline after scoring his second touchdown in 61 seconds. As the Wolverines’ kickoff team prepared to take the field, Simpson bent over at the waist for a few seconds, then collapsed to the turf.
Polk trainers began treating Simpson within seconds. Additional personnel rushed to the Wolverine sideline. Within minutes, both teams had gathered together, huddled and prayed.
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Simpson eventually was placed in an ambulance and taken from the field. That ambulance soon returned to the Polk sideline after a Wolverine cheerleader suffered a medical issue during the stoppage.
School officials reported later in the evening that Simpson had been treated and released while the cheerleader was alert, responsive and at the hospital with her family.
The medical stoppage lasted about 45 minutes, matching the weather delay that pushed the opening kickoff to 8:15 p.m. The game finally ended just before 11:30 p.m., with Owen taking a 46-27 victory.
Mistakes repeatedly put Polk County (1-4, 0-1) in difficult positions. The Wolverines committed five turnovers – two fumbles and three interceptions – had a bad snap on a punt attempt and failed to cover a short kickoff that Owen recovered.
Those miscues frequently handed the Warhorses (3-2, 1-0) favorable field position; Owen began four of its seven scoring drives inside Polk’s 40-yard line.
Yet Polk County kept battling back. Down 18-0 late in the second quarter, the Wolverines put together a seven-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Brody Wilkins had completions of 30 yards to Jesse Moore and 27 yards to Styler Blackwell before Blackwell scored on a 1-yard run, cutting Owen’s lead to 18-6 with 4:21 left in the first half.
The score stayed that way until Owen’s opening drive of the third quarter, when Emmett Minks teamed with LaSalle Jones for a 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. The Warhorses then recovered the ensuing kickoff and scored again on Stephen Anderson’s 1-yard touchdown plunge, upping the advantage to 32-6.
An interception stopped a Polk County drive into the red zone, but the Wolverines soon regained possession and mounted their strongest push of the night. A short punt gave Polk possession at the Owen 34, and there Wilkins lofted a pass down the middle of the field for Simpson, who outjumped a defender and hauled in the catch in the end zone. That made it 32-12 with 3:22 left in the third.
Simpson recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Owen 41. Three plays later, he streaked down the left sideline to snare a 26-yard touchdown pass. Blackwell added the 2-point conversion to make it 32-20 at the 2:21 mark.
After the lengthy stoppage, Owen regained control, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns to put the game away.
Blackwell rushed for 126 yards on 16 carries and added four catches for 46 yards. Wilkins finished 14-of-29 for 178 yards, with Simpson catching three passes for 64 yards and Sawyer Huff grabbing four for 32 yards.
Minks finished 4-for-5 for 108 yards for Owen. Donte Middleton led the Warhorses with 56 yards rushing as nine different players contributed to Owen’s 208 total yards on the ground.
Polk County returns to G.M. Tennant Stadium next Friday to face Mitchell, starting a run of three straight home games.
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