TSSAA football championship: Pearl-Cohn's perfect season ended by Alcoa in Class 3A BlueCross Bowl

COOKEVILLE — Pearl-Cohn's chance at perfection was dashed Friday afternoon.

The state's winningest high school football coach made sure of it in the Class 3A BlueCross Bowl.

Alcoa defeated the Firebirds 27-0 at Tennessee Tech's Tucker Stadium to give veteran coach Gary Rankin his state-leading 15th championship — and 11th at the Blount County high school.

Pearl-Cohn junior quarterback Martino Owens dislocated his ankle late in the fourth quarter. Coach Tony Brunetti said a doctor was able to put it back into place on the field. He was taken off the field by stretcher.

"They popped it back into place," Brunetti said. "I don't think anything is broken.

"He played so hard. The doctor said it was easy to get back (in place)."

The Firebirds, who were making their first state championship appearance since falling 48-8 to Knoxville Catholic in 2015, were attempting to become the first Nashville Metro public school to win a football championship game since Hillsboro won the 2008 Class 4A title.

Instead, the Firebirds became the fifth Nashville team since then to bring home a silver ball trophy.

Alcoa dominated from the start. The Tornadoes held Pearl-Cohn (14-1) to just five first downs and 83 total yards in the first half and 105 for the game. 

Alcoa ran up and down the field, rushing for 219 of its 309 rushing yards in the first half.

Sam Vaulton ran for an 18-yard touchdown with 10:13 left in the first quarter. Teammate Isaiah Cox set up the score with a 17-yard punt return after the Firebirds were forced to punt out of their end zone.

Tristan Blankenship added a 1-yard TD run with 1:46 left. Ahmaudd Sankey later added a 35-yard TD run with 8:33 left in the first half.

And the rout was on.

Brayden Anderson ended the scoring by reeling in a Vaulton 11-yard TD pass.

"I told them at halftime, don't go out there and lay down in the second half," Brunetti said. "I said don't quit. Don't come out here and point fingers."

Pearl-Cohn, which lost in the second round of the playoffs a year ago, dominated the regular season. The Firebirds beat Class 6A foes Cane Ridge and Independence and DII-AAA runnerup MBA to help them go undefeated in the regular season for the first time in program history.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.

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