Prime Time Performers: Antioch at Mt. Juliet

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday evening in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee saw the home Golden Bears keep their undefeated season alive after a strong showing and win over fellow 6A opponent, Antioch. It was a commanding performance from the home squad that saw a balanced, winning attack from both sides of the ball. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brief Recap</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Golden Bears kept their undefeated season alive after a Thursday evening 26-8 home victory over the visiting Antioch Bears. From start to finish, Mt. Juliet was clearly the better team as they commanded everything until the final whistle while continuing to improve as a squad headed back into region play next week.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Early on in the 1st quarter, the Antioch defense did well versus the run and showed competitive spirit but that feeling ran out quickly after the Golden Bears second and third offensive possessions. After stalling on the first drive, Mt. Juliet came right back to produce a field goal then its first touchdown of the night from quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='219402' first='Tyler' last='Travers'] </strong>to push the Golden Bears out in front, 9-0.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It wasn't the best performance from the Mt. Juliet offense in this matchup but it was good enough to eventually get the job done. After another field goal from <strong>Tate Merbitz</strong>, Mt. Juliet took a 12-0 lead into the locker room but left the door open for Antioch to make a comeback.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='378901' first='Andre' last='Adams'] </strong>and his Bears offense marched down the field into Mt. Juliet territory and it looked like momentum was changing but the air went out of balloon when <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1224014' first='Deon' last='Waller'] </strong>jumped in front of a pass and took it all the way down inside the Bears 30 yard line. The very next play, Travers found <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1310658' first='Isaiah' last='Roseberry'] </strong>in the back of the end zone to push the Golden Bears lead out to 19-0 and basically put the game to rest.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1842021458316337604","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1842021458316337604 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mt. Juliet defense was suffocating all night. They put constant pressure on Adams while also playing good coverage on the back end and stuffing the run with consistency. Several players shined on defense but I felt the play of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='250859' first='Atticus' last='Fiorita'] </strong>was key. He played in the Bears backfield all night long, harassing Adams but also doing good work setting the edge against the run.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 4th quarter saw the Bears finally score with an Adams short yard run but the home team had the game in the bag and remained undefeated with a commanding victory over Antioch. It was another impressive, balanced performance from the Golden Bears and another good win versus a talented ball club.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - - </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Star Performer</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["250859"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67000dc710a36"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Without having any official stats at the moment of writing this, Fiorita had himself a strong performance in his team's double digit victory over Antioch and it wasn't about the sacks more so than it was about his overall game between rushing the backfield and playing in coverage. The Golden Bears senior edge rusher caused havoc for the Bears offensive tackles throughout the night as they had a hard time keeping up with his motor and speed. Fiorita did a good job of getting off the snap well, bending around the tackle then either chasing down Adams for a sack or putting pressure on him to force early throws. Getting into the backfield is what this Mid-TN product does but I thought his work versus the run was equally impressive. This was a matchup that Fiorita needed to have a strong showing as he went up against a future Big 10 tackle and he more than handled himself fine, he performed like a potential D1 guy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Three Stars</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["219402"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67000dc710a88"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It was another steady performance from this 6'6 senior passer against a solid Antioch defense. Travers had a few challenges as the Bears presented an athletic defense but after getting a feel for them early, this Golden Bears quarterback did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and moving his offense with efficiency. He produced two scores on the night with his first one coming on the ground then next one being a 2nd half touchdown pass then sealed the win. His numbers may not be spectacular from this game but Travers' calm demeanor and his ability to make winning plays was a nice recipe in a big non-region victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1224014"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67000dc710ac9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I've seen this Mid-Tennessee defensive back perform twice in person this year and both times, Waller had put forth impressive performances. Last night in their home win over Antioch, Waller stood out yet again with his strong play versus the run but also his work on the back end where he picked off the Bears quarterback and put his offense in position to score a backbreaking touchdown against the road team. This is truly an under the radar talent that would bring value to anybody's college secondary as Waller plays hard each and every snap along with providing big play abilities due to his natural athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Miguel Arellano","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"234","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Mt. Juliet ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67000dc710b69"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Working most of the night in front of Fiorita and against the Bears offensive tackles, Arellano was a solid, steady performer where he provided the occasional pass rush but his best work went against the Bears rushing attack. The Golden Bears junior D-lineman played a physical contest where he set the edge well, either forcing the Bears ball carrier inside or making the tackle himself. His play was also important when it came to allowing guys like Fiorita to wreak havoc in the backfield due to his ability to hold the point of attack. Stats may not be there for Arellano in this matchup but the performance was definitely there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>- - - - - </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Helmet Stickers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(S) [player_tooltip player_id='1310658' first='Isaiah' last='Roseberry'] - Mt. Juliet: </strong>This dude is a gamer. A true football player that plays a consistent brand that shows up each and every week. Roseberry had another solid performance Thursday evening where he made several plays on defense, including multiple batted passes as well as a touchdown reception in the 2nd half that sealed the win for Mt. Juliet.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1269060' first='Cadarius' last='Newcomb'] - Antioch: </strong>I thought the best overall performer for the Bears last night was this senior linebacker that made several plays behind the line of scrimmage along with some forceful hits. Newcomb was excellent versus the run in this game where he showed quick instincts and speed to the ball along with violence that I'm sure the Golden Bears felt throughout the game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(TE) Carson Slocum - Mt. Juliet: </strong>The numbers may not show it but Slocum was a steady performer in this game where he did his best work blocking in the run game. Running the ball was tough for Mt. Juliet in this matchup when they were successful, Slocum was a key component. He also showed off his receiving abilities on occasions, including a big first down catch that led to an eventual touchdown.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>‘26 (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='1476117' first='Jahkai' last='Brown'] - Antioch: </strong>His overall stats may not be there but I thought Brown had several impressive runs in this game where he displayed good initial burst then some power, where Mt. Juliet defenders had a hard time bringing him down. Potential is there for Brown to work himself into the Top 20 at his position within our junior class with continued development over the next several months.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(LB) Brooklyn Nguyen - Mt. Juliet: </strong>The team's leading tackler on Thursday night, Nguyen had himself a stellar performance against the Bears run game where he made several plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. He showed a good nose for the ball throughout this game but also provided issues for blockers as they had a hard time blocking him or keeping Nguyen in-check.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>‘26 [player_tooltip player_id='966033' first='Brandon' last='Goliday'] - Antioch: </strong>Goliday didn't have a mass production night but the times the ball touched his hands, the Bears junior wideout made things happen. The biggest thing that stood out about his game Thursday night was his ability to separate from defenders and create yards after the catch. This is an athletic guy that fits the role of solid receiver nicely along with bringing value to special teams as a potential return guy.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>‘27 (QB) [player_tooltip player_id='378901' first='Andre' last='Adams'] - Antioch: </strong>Much of the media was on hand to see this sophomore quarterback and while it wasn't his best performance of the season, you could certainly see the potential and why many across the recruiting landscape love his upside. His biggest trait on Thursday evening that had success was his ability to extend the play and either complete a pass or tuck it and run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1842007222936547415","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1842007222936547415 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->