Smith-Cotton football overcomes opening scare to rout Ruskin in district semis

Published 1:18 am Saturday, November 7, 2026

By Jack Denebeim

Smith-Cotton football’s Class 5 District 7 semifinal game versus Ruskin started with a momentary scare, but quickly turned into a takeover.

After a penalty negated an opening-play touchdown by the Eagles, the Tigers called a timeout to regroup. S-C responded with six straight defensive stops to build a 35-point halftime lead, setting the stage for a 48-6 win Friday, Nov. 6, at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.

“We had to call that timeout and just kind of regroup and refocus,” Smith-Cotton head coach Mike Franklin said. “I don’t think our focus was all the way there, and that can’t happen moving forward. We got to be locked in at all times for every single rep … [The timeout] was just a good reminder of, ‘Hey, remember the game plan. Remember to execute. Do your 1/11th and everything else will take care of itself.’”

After its 80-yard score was wiped out, Ruskin went three-and-out, giving Smith-Cotton the ball at the Eagles’ 46-yard line.

Four plays later, junior quarterback Lane McCollester found junior Asher Cason uncovered for a 32-yard touchdown and the first official score of the game.

The Tigers (6-5) sent a player in motion before the snap, causing the Eagles (3-8) to shift defensively and leave Cason wide open.

“That motion, we’ve been practicing it all week,” McCollester said. “When we shift over, some bad things tend to happen on defense, and it just left Asher right there. I just had to get him the ball. [The first score] was really big, getting us propelled in the right direction and getting everybody hyped, you know, giving everybody the energy to keep playing.”

Ruskin’s next three possessions resulted in punts. Smith-Cotton capitalized, scoring touchdowns on two of the three opportunities.

Junior Armand Wright accounted for both scores, running the ball in from 29 and 19 yards out to put the Tigers up 21-0 with 10:25 left in the second quarter.

The Eagles put together their best drive of the game on their next possession, moving the ball to the S-C 29-yard line.

On second-and-6, sophomore London Blaylock Jr. fired a pass toward the end zone, but junior Grayson Pottorff intercepted it and returned it 99 yards for the touchdown.

The pick-six is Pottorff’s second of the year. He had a 100-yard pick-six against Jefferson City on Sept. 18.

“First of all, I have to thank all the blockers,” Pottorff said. “There were great blocks on that play. There was a lot of green grass in front of me and there was not a lot of defenders in the way, so I just took it.”

Following another punt from Ruskin, Smith-Cotton added its final score of the first half through a 16-yard touchdown pass from McCollester to senior Rylon Curry, who made a toe-tapping catch along the sideline.

“The O-line blocked incredibly well,” McCollester said. “I had plenty of time in the pocket. I just kind of throw the ball and give it to athletes in space. Rylon made a great play. Insane catch.”

The running clock was activated the entire second half.

The Tigers extended their lead to 48-0 through a 3-yard touchdown run by senior Tyler Hiatt and an 11-yard run by sophomore Zane Horton. The Eagles’ lone score came on a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown with 1:45 remaining.

With the win, Smith-Cotton advances to its first district championship game since 2008, which is also the last time it has won a district championship.

S-C will visit Grain Valley on Friday, Nov. 13. Grain Valley (8-2) defeated Capital City 21-12 in its semifinal game.

Grain Valley has won six district championships since 2019, including one last season.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about since April,” Franklin said. “We’ve been telling the guys how good they can be, and they’re really starting to believe in that. It’s really cool that we’ve made it to this point, but the job’s not done. We got a tough task in Grain Valley. They’re very well coached. We really have to be locked in this week of practice if we’re going to have a shot at this thing.”

Tipton to play for third straight district title

Tipton defeated Windsor 56-14 in the Class 1 District 4 semifinal round Friday at Tipton High School.

The Cardinals will look to win their third consecutive district title when they host Skyline on Friday, Nov. 13.

Skyline beat Russellville 50-32.

Windsor ends its season with a 5-6 record.

Northwest 8-man heads back to district title game

A year after losing to Concordia in the district championship game, Northwest defeated the Orioles 44-0 in the 8-Man District 3 semifinals Friday at Northwest High School.

The Mustangs will host Santa Fe in the district championship game Friday, Nov. 13.

Sports editor Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.