With two games remaining, Polk County High School’s football team shares the conference lead with their next opponent, after the Wolverines dumped Avery, 35-7, at Newland, N.C. on Friday, Oct. 18.
A balanced offense, and an aggressive defense advanced the Wolverines to 4-0 in the Western Highlands Conference, tied with Owen, which hosts Polk on Nov. 1.
The Wolverines have an open date this Friday, which will help them better prepare for Owen, and for the Hendersonville game on Nov. 8. Hendersonville is 3-1 in the conference. To add a bit of spice, Hendersonville hosts Owen this Friday.
“We played pretty well (on Friday),” understated Polk head coach Bruce Ollis, who noted, “Avery is a difficult place to play.” In spite of that, Polk upped its overall mark to 6-3. That’s six straight wins for the Wolverines, who have stayed the course set by the coaching staff.
Avery took the opening kickoff, but thanks to that aggressive defense, “we got a big stop,” said Ollis.
The Wolverines scored on their first two possessions, and took a 21-0 lead into halftime.
After Polk scored another touchdown, Avery scored late in the third quarter. The Wolverines got that one back in the fourth.
Ollis noted that Tyrone Miller made a big catch (good for 40 yards) to set up one of the Polk touchdowns, while many players contributed to the win. “They did well when they got their opportunities,” said Ollis.
Quarterback Reece Schlabach completed 10 of 12 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown (to Jordan Smith, who also ran for a score). Schlabach also scored three TDs on the ground.
This Friday’s open date will “give us a couple of weeks to prepare for Owen,” said Ollis. The Wolverines host Hendersonville at Senior Night on Nov. 8.
Polk’s coaching staff will attend this Friday’s Owen/Hendersonville contest, to study both upcoming opponents.