Science Hill and Dobyns-Bennett have been rivals for decades. When the teams meet for any competition, there is an intense sense of competitiveness from both sides. Each school has a huge fan base, creating an extremely supportive ambiance. The Toppers pulled out a major win against the Indians in their last regular season game on October 27th.
Although the Indians scored the first touchdown, this did not phase the Toppers. Javon (“Von”) Emile scored a 36-yard rushing touchdown to tie the score at halftime. The game was not looking good for the Indians as Science Hill continued to make great defensive plays throughout the third quarter.
Science Hill’s quarterback, Spencer Taylor, was missing one of his strongest wide receivers, Emmett Watson, due to a knee injury suffered in practice that week. Still, this setback did not stop the Hilltoppers from taking the lead by scoring two additional touchdowns made by Trevor Whitson and Baylor Necessary.
Topper fans thought the game was over and Science Hill had defeated the Indians, but Dobyns-Bennett had other plans. The Hilltoppers had a 21-14 lead up until the last 8 seconds of the fourth quarter. The Indians managed to reclaim their chance at victory by scoring another touchdown, tying the score 21-21. This shocked the crowd and forced the game into overtime.
The coin toss was in favor of the Toppers that Friday night, which gave them the opportunity to score first. Science Hill did not take this opportunity for granted. Junior Baylor Necessary completed the game-winning touchdown for the Toppers, but that is not all, Necessary also robbed victory from the Indians by tipping away a pass in the endzone.
This was the 5th victory in a row over Dobyns-Bennett for Science Hill. The team celebrated by rushing onto the field with their infamous “Pride-Bowl” trophy. Hilltopper fans joined the team on the field to celebrate this major victory. Topper smiles filled J. Fred Johnson’s stadium as the Indians went home with frowns.
Science Hill finished their season in second place in Region 1-6A with a region record of 4-1 and an overall record of 7-3. The Toppers will host Maryville at Kermit Tipton on November 3rd, beginning their playoff journey.
