Five things to know as Polk County opens a three-game homestand Friday against Mitchell.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at G.M. Tennant Stadium. The game also marks the start of the second half of the regular season for Polk County (1-4, 0-1), while Mitchell enters at 3-2 overall and 0-1 in Western Highlands Conference play.
Last week: Mitchell dropped a 20-7 decision to Hendersonville. Polk County fell 46-27 at Owen in its conference opener.
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Run first, run often: There isn’t much mystery about the foundation of Mitchell’s offense.
The Mountaineers have rushed 213 times for 1,244 yards and 13 touchdowns through five games. They’ve attempted just 40 passes.
Three players have done most of the damage. Owen Woody has carried 68 times for 301 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback Owen Riddle has 297 yards and five scores on 43 attempts and AJ Mackey has rushed 30 times for 216 yards and a touchdown.
That’s 814 yards and nine touchdowns from that trio alone.
The approach isn’t new. Mitchell head coach Travise Pitman said before the season that the Mountaineers build everything around their offensive line, with four starters returning up front.
For a Polk defense that spent much of last week’s loss at Owen trying to get off the field against another run-oriented attack, the assignment will look somewhat familiar.
Trouble finishing: Moving the football hasn’t always been Mitchell’s problem.
Finishing drives has.
That became especially evident in last week’s loss to Hendersonville. The Mountaineers reached the red zone multiple times but managed only one touchdown in the 20-7 defeat.
Mitchell played that game without Riddle, who suffered an ankle injury late in the previous week’s 14-13 victory over Robbinsville. Woody still rushed 20 times for 125 yards and scored Mitchell’s only touchdown.
Whether the Mountaineers can turn productive drives into points will be worth watching Friday, especially if Polk can force Mitchell to string together long possessions rather than surrendering explosive plays.
The turnover trend took a hard turn: For four weeks, Polk County had been moving steadily in the right direction with turnovers – from minus-one against Chase to even at Newton-Conover, plus-one against Landrum and plus-two against Patton.
Then came Owen.
Polk lost two fumbles and threw three interceptions, a minus-five night that was compounded by a bad snap on a first-quarter punt. Owen turned the two fumbles and one of the interceptions into touchdowns, and the bad punt snap also set up a score.
In all, 25 of Owen’s 46 points followed those possession-changing mistakes.
That feels like the clearest issue heading into Friday. Polk has shown it can move the football. It simply can’t keep giving an opponent short fields and extra possessions.
Blackwell keeps rolling: One of the constants through Polk County’s first half has been Styler Blackwell’s production.
The senior has rushed 66 times for 553 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging better than eight yards per carry.
What entered the season as one of Polk’s largest offensive questions – how to replace the production lost from last year’s backfield – has instead become one of its strengths.
Blackwell has also remained a major part of the defense with 42 tackles and four tackles for loss.
Brody Wilkins has thrown for 614 yards and seven touchdowns, with RJ Simpson leading Polk with 194 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. Sawyer Huff has 101 receiving yards and a touchdown while also recording 33 tackles and a team-high six tackles for loss.
The Wolverines have enough offensive production to score points. Friday again comes down to giving that offense enough possessions – and protecting the ones it gets.
Seven straight: Few opponents have given Polk County more trouble in recent years than Mitchell.
Friday will mark the 20th meeting between the programs, with the Mountaineers holding an 11-8 advantage.
Polk once led the series 8-4.
Mitchell has won every meeting since, taking seven straight from the Wolverines. Polk County’s last victory came in 2014, a 40-14 win.
That makes Friday an opportunity for more than simply getting back to .500 in conference play.
The Wolverines will also have a chance to end a streak that has now stretched more than a decade.
