BY JESSE SMITHEY
CHATTANOOGA — Carson Jessie couldn’t sleep Thursday night, and that’s understandable.
The Class 5A championship was just on the other side of the sunrise, and Jessie is the starting quarterback for an undefeated team.
And, it was set to be his final high school game.
“I was up pretty late,” said Jessie, the senior starting quarterback for West High School.
“I would just fall asleep, wake up. I was excited for the day to be here. It was everything we’d worked for, for six months now. And it was finally here. I was just excited about it.”
Turns out, he had nothing to worry about. Jessie played like a champ (thanks to a little sleep on the bus ride down).
He completed 18 of 24 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns, as the West Rebels completed their first-ever undefeated season with a 47-13 win over Page in the Class 5A BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium.
Jessie earned BlueCross Bowl MVP honors, and West (15-0) won its second state title in program history — the first coming in 2014. Page (12-3) finished runner-up in 5A for the second year in a row. The Patriots lost to Powell in 2021.
And for West coach Lamar Brown, who took over the Rebels’ program in 2017 after a long stint at Morristown West, the championship was the first of his successful coaching career. He is 60-19 in six full seasons at West after going 71-35 in nine seasons at Morristown West.
“It’s great. Any coach wants to win a state championship, but I haven’t given it much thought (for my career). I’m thrilled to death for these kids,” said Brown. “I’m a little disappointed we don’t get to practice next week. But, at least, we went out on our own terms.
“This group is going to be missed at West High School.”
West led 26-13 coming out of the halftime break Friday night and had a chance to increase its advantage to really put the pressure on Page early in the second half. But Jessie was intercepted on a third-down pass in the red zone.
After a marvelous first half throwing the football, Jessie and West made their first earnest mistake.
No matter.
Cayden Latham intercepted Page right back, giving the Rebels the ball back at the Page 40 at the 8-minute, 48-second mark of the third.
“I thought it was huge. We get a turnover, and we get it right back from them. Cayden make a heck of a play to get us the ball back,” said Brown. “Offense goes down and finishes that drive.”
Cayden Latham’s twin-brother Brayden Latham capitalized on the Page miscue, running in an 18-yard touchdown for a 33-13 lead with 6:14 to go in the quarter. Latham ran between the right guard and right tackle, only to see that lane cut off. So he bounced the run outside and dove across the front-right corner of the end zone — with him stretching out the ball to touch the pylon for the score. He finished with 25 carries, 101 yards and three touchdowns.
West preserved that 20-point margin with 2:46 left in the third, stopping Page on downs at the West 25.
Page, facing a fourth-and-7 with 11:53 left to play, went for it again. This time, at their own 47.
But West defensive back Marshaun Bowers defended the deep pass well and the Page receiver couldn’t haul in the throw.
West held Page to 211 yards passing and minus-6 yards rushing. The Patriots also went 0-for-11 on third-down attempts.
Brayden Latham, a Mr. Football finalist, put the game out of reach with a 33-yard, multiple-tackle-breaking touchdown run up the middle. It gave West a 40-13 lead with 9:11 to play.
Cayden Latham added a 36-yard touchdown reception for good measure.
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The first quarter felt like the opening moments of a heavyweight bout, the two opponents basically just getting a feel for one another but not really throwing a decisive punch.
Both West and Page punted on each of their first three possessions and reached the end of the quarter knotted at 0-0. They combined for just 79 yards.
By halftime, though, West led 26-13 and the Rebels and Page reached the half with a combined 400 yards of offense.
Page did its best to stop Brayden Latham, who ran for just 32 yards on 13 carries in the opening 24 minutes.
Jessie made Page pay for leaving the passing lanes unclogged. He threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns on 14-for-18 passing with no interceptions.
Latham gave West its first score, capping a nine-play, 52-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run with 10:15 left in the half. The PAT was blocked.
Page took the lead some 4 minutes later, as Colin Hurd called a QB keeper on fourth-and-1 and he scored from the 6-yard line.
Jessie kick-started the ensuing West possession with a 44-yard bomb to JaQurrius Wrenn, and then Jessie hit Marsaun Bowers on a 25-yard touchdown pass on the very next play. West led 12-7 with 5:22 remaining in the second quarter, as its two-point conversion failed.
Page hit on a big play and answered West with a 69-yard touchdown pass from Hurd.
West. Just. Kept. Coming.
Jessie hit Syxx Hoard on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 3:47 left in the half.
And after the two sacks by West linebacker John Carlevato that derailed Page’s ensuing possession, West worked the dwindling clock beautifully. Jessie hit tight end R.J. Brooks on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left before the break.
That was Brooks’ 10th reception of the season — and his eighth touchdown catch.
Four different West players caught touchdowns Friday night, perfectly reflecting the depth and balance of their team.
“I love it when everybody stacks the box and get on me. They forget we have a really freaking good QB,” said Brayden Latham. “When he needs to throw, we can throw.
“We got receivers to go up and get that ball. … We got a good group.”
BOXSCORE: West 47, Page 13
West 0-26-7-14
Page 0-13-0-0
SCORING — WEST: Brayden Latham 7 run (Tyson Siebe kick blocked), PAGE: Colin Hurd 6 run (Lisman kick); WEST — Marshaun Bowers 25 pass from Carson Jessie (pass fail), PAGE – Max Collins 69 pass from Hurd (kick blocked), WEST – Syxx Hoard 37 pass from Jessie (Siebe kick), R.J. Brooks 21 pass from Jessie (Siebe kick), B. Latham 8 run (Siebe kick), B. Latham 33 run (Siebe kick), Cayden Latham 36 pass from Jessie (Siebe kick).
FIRST DOWNS: West 19, Page 11
RUSHING: West 35-99, Page 12-(-6)
C-A-I: West 18-24-1, Page 17-37-1
PASSING: West 286, Page 211
FUMBLES: West 2-0, Page 1-0
PUNTS: West 4-30.2, Page 7-37.6
PENALTIES: West 7-79, Page 4-40
THIRD DOWNS: West 5 of 11, Page 0 of 11
FOURTH DOWNS: West 0 of 0, Page 1 of 3
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