Alcoa wins sixth straight state championship
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Updated: 11:55 PM Dec 4, 2009
Alcoa wins sixth straight state championship
Tornadoes beat Milan 21-0 to win its 11th state title in football.
Posted: 11:15 PM Dec 4, 2009
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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- It's six state championships in a row for the Alcoa Tornadoes who got three touchdowns from JaRon Toney in a 21-0 victory Friday over Milan in a rematch of last year's championship game.

"It is alot of pressure (to keep winning)," Toney told Sports Overtime Friday night. "I think most people don't want to take on pressure and that's what we try to overcome. We know we have to take it, because alot of people are watching us and we just wanted to come out with the win."

Not only did Alcoa win. They did so with zero passing yards, attempting just one pass all game long.

"We been running well all year," Tornado running back Taharin Tyson said. "The offensive line did what they've done all year. We pounded the rock and they just blocked well, like they've done all year."

The Class 3A title gave Alcoa (15-0) its first perfect season since 2000, and it also gave Tornadoes coach Gary Rankin his eighth state title -- four in a row with Alcoa after leaving Riverdale.

Rankin knew he would have a team that would compete for a state title, but running the tables isn't something he said he could have predicted.

"With the schedule that we have, playing the 4A champs out of Kentucky first, you got Maryville and Fulton and CAK and Loudon. There's some good football teams on our schedule," Rankin said. "I would have never dreamed that we would go 15-0."

Toney, the game's offensive most valuable player, scored all three touchdowns -- all on one-yard runs -- and led Alcoa with 134 yards on 27 carries. The touchdowns gave him 50 rushing touchdowns this season and 52 overall. The fifty rushing touchdowns is a state record.

Milan (14-1) was able to move the ball, compiling 188 yards of offense to Alcoa's 171, all on the ground. However, two interceptions and two lost fumbles ended the Bulldogs' scoring chances.

Alcoa's Dee Herbert was named the defensive MVP, collecting 13 tackles.

For the Bulldogs, quarterback Zach Ryan threw for 100 yards on 7-of-15 passing. Jobrons Gilbert led the Milan rushing attack with 34 carries for 79 yards.

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