No. 1 Oakland football steamrolls No. 6 Blackman 53-18 for 36th straight win

MURFREESBORO − Five different players scored touchdowns for top-ranked Oakland and the Patriots were never forced to punt in a 53-18 win over host Blackman in a key Region 4-6A showdown Friday night.

The Patriots (6-0, 3-0 region) built a 21-6 lead early in the second quarter and the Blaze (5-2, 2-1) never threatened from there.

Oakland has won 36 consecutive games overall and 53 consecutive district/region games. The Patriots racked up 479 total yards and held Blackman to 332 yards. The Blaze's 18 points were the lowest total since a 23-14 loss to Brentwood to open the season.

Oakland senior Eric Taylor, playing in his first game after missing the first five with a shoulder injury, scored on a 41-yard run on the Patriots' first possession. He finished with 81 yards and added seven tackles on defense.

Patriot senior quarterback Kade Hewitt, who was battling a calf strain for the past two weeks, started and played well, passing for 86 yards and a touchdown and added two rushing TDs.

Oakland led 31-12 at halftime and extended the lead to 39-12 early in the third on Hewitt's second TD run.

Mason Bell rushed eight times for 97 yards and a touchdown and T.T. Hill added 12 carries for 70 yards and a TD and caught a touchdown pass for Oakland, which also got a rushing touchdown from C.J. Puckett.

Jack Risner threw for 141 yards and two TDs for Blackman. Justin Brown and Ben Marshall each had 62 yards receiving and a touchdown. Marshall added a TD run.

Risner left the game in the second half (undisclosed injury) and senior wide receiver Jacob Page also exited with a thumb injury, something that hampered him in the off-season.

Oakland plays at CPA Thursday while Blackman will have an open date.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: TSSAA football: Top-ranked Oakland rolls past No. 6 Blackman 53-18