The trophy stayed home.
Knoxville edged Greenville, S.C., 17-16 in the final of the Dogwood Tournament, held April 5 and 6, 1997.
Six teams competed in the two-pool tourney. In Bracket One, Knoxville stomped Johnson City 34-7 before the Possums shut out Findlay, Ohio, 22-0. In the second pool, Greenville romped Chattanooga 47-0 and beat Toledo 20-13.
Final
Ten minutes into the championship, with the pitch softened by a morning rain, Knoxville center Todd Little scored a try and lock Brian Niekerk converted for a 7-0 Knoxville lead.
Greenville flyhalf Rich Cobb booted two penalties to one by Niekerk to bring the halftime score to 10-6 in Knoxville’s favor.
The second half started with Knoxville prop Tyler Huskey bursting up the middle for a 25-meter try that Niekerk converted to put the Possums in front 17-6.
Cobb was knocked out of the game and wing Greg Blinston moved to flyhalf. He promptly slotted a penalty to bring the Griffins within eight points at 17-9.
A try by Greenville wing Lynn Moore, converted by Blinston, tightened the scoreline to 17-16. The Griffins pressured late on a scamper by scrumhalf Tom Liddle, but a Knoxville player alertly kicked the ball away when no support arrived for Liddle.
Knoxville Greenville
Huskey (C) 1 Little
Miller 2 Courtney
McArthur 3 J. Roberts
Cerne 4 Haywood
Niekerk 5 Speaks
Daugherty 6 Van Evera
Cunningham 7 Lecroix
Powell 8 D. Roberts (C)
Hopson 9 Liddle
Broyles 10 Cobb*
Bennett 11 Moore
Little 12 Howland
Koroa 13 Clardy
Dorwin 14 Blinston
Braswell 15 Quirk
*replaced by Jackson
Ref: Craig Kartiganer
