KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A youth football team consisting of kids from the surrounding tri-state area captured the 13u Battle in Rocky Top National Championship earlier this month.
Tri-State Alliance defeated a team from Topeka, Kansas, for the title. Alliance finished as runner-up last year.
After rolling to wins of 30-6, 20-0 and 21-0 through its first three games, Alliance fell behind 13-8 in the third quarter of the championship until Maddox Twigg, of Ridgeley, orchestrated a 15-play, 96-yard drive — punctuated by a four-yard Twigg touchdown run — for the win.
The 2023 Battle in Rocky Top consisted of 311 teams from 23 states across nine age groups ranging from 6u to 14u. Tri-State Alliance 13u were the champions of the 13u/14u eighth-grade national (gold) division.
The coaches on the team were Michael Simanski, Morris Ramonat, Chris Roberson and Matt Twigg.
The players were Dom Crawford, Kyran Freeman, Channing Logsdon, Twigg, Coleton Roberson, Khiante Bible, Brady Twigg, Chase Opel, Matthew Coleman, Brett Cairrico, Deegan Barnett, Lyric Blake, Max Winters, Jake Britton, Aiden Mayne, AJ Adams, Knox Kimble and Brian Poindexter.