When Collierville’s star quarterback Aiden Glover suffered an injury in the second quarter of Friday night’s (Sept. 30) contest against Germantown, head coach Joe Rocconi knew the talent backup quarterback Logan Johns possessed.
And Johns put those skills on full display.
In a battle of teams looking to separate themselves in the Region 8-6A race, Collierville (7-0,4-0) defeated Germantown (5-2, 2-2) 20-6 in a matchup that pitted two strong offenses.
Both teams started the game exchanging three and outs on their first couple of drives, with Germantown’s Oziel Hernandez managing to put two field goals together to take a 6-0 lead late into the first half.
That’s when Collierville, led by Johns, showed its offensive prowess.
Johns, who finished with three touchdown passes, found wide receiver Noah Flaskamp for a long touchdown pass just before halftime.
The score foretold a momentum shift and Germantown never seriously threatened to score.
Germantown’s quarterback Isaiah Tate did not play due to an undisclosed injury, which significantly hampered the Red Devils’ attack. Backup quarterback Kion Threalkill played most of the snaps at quarterback.
Aside from a few long runs by running backs Joshua Davis and B.J. Blake, Germantown’s offense failed to seriously penetrate deep into Collierville territory in the second half.
During the third quarter it became clear Collierville was the better team in terms of discipline and in execution.
Johns added two touchdown passes, connecting with Flaskamp again and throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to wideout Austin Smith.
The Collierville defense clinched the victory late in the fourth quarter with an interception of Threalkill. Collierville permitted only 90 yards of offense and held the Red Devils to just six first downs.
After the game, Coach Rocconi discussed how proud he was of Johns and the way the team stepped up when Glover went down.
“Our defense stepped up,” Rocconi said. “I’m proud of how we played and how we battled adversity. I’m also proud of Logan Johns. He’s helped out Aidan and all the other quarterbacks but, at the same time, he’s prepared and waited for his moment.”
