DUNLAP, Tenn. – The Cascade Champions (3-2, 0-1) opened Region 4-AAA play at Sequatchie County (3-2, 1-0) on Friday night, but were unable to get on the scoreboard in a 32-0 loss.

The Champions struggled to get anything going offensively, finishing with just 102 total yards of offense, picking up just six first downs total, and finishing 1/8 on third down. They also committed two turnovers in the loss.

Sam Bradley struggled for the first time in a Cascade uniform, finishing 8/14 passing for 44 yards with one interception. As a team, Cascade could muster up just 58 yards rushing on 19 attempts.

Meanwhile, Sequatchie County’s Hunter Minton finished with 144 yards passing while the hosts’ totaled 115 yards as a team on the ground.

Sequatchie opened the scoring on its first drive of the game after forcing a 3-and-out from Cascade when Hunter Minton punched it in from one yard out to take a 7-0 lead with 3:31 to go in the opening period to cap off a drive that used 6:54 off the clock.

On the Champs’ ensuing possession, the visitors managed to pick up a trio of first downs before Gabe Perez-Rubio could not connect on a field goal attempt. 

Sequatchie responded with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Minton to Gowan Brown to double the hosts’ lead, 14-0, with 7:59 to go in the first half. After forcing another quick punt, Sequatchie County once again found the end zone, this time from 27-yards out after Minton once again found Brown. After the missed extra point, the hosts held a 20-0 lead with 3:25 to go in the second quarter.

Following Cascade’s next scoreless possession, the hosts once again found the end zone thanks to a 6-yard touchdown run from Austin Griffith with 1:57 remaining in the half, growing their lead to 26-0 after another missed extra point. 

Then, as the Champs were starting to put together a two-minute drive to potentially gain some momentum for the second half, Bradley was strip-sacked at his own 44-yard line. From there, Kason Hicks picked up the football and rumbled into the end zone for a scoop-and-score touchdown to put the finishing touches on a dominant first half that saw Sequatchie County hold a 32-0 lead. 

Neither team truly threatened to score in the second half, and after the fourth quarter saw a running clock, Bradley was intercepted on the Champs’ final drive of the night to bring an end to the first Region 4-AAA game of the season.

Cascade’s schedule doesn’t get any easier as they are set to host the other Region 4-AAA favorites, Giles County, on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.