The Polk County football team won its fourth Western Highlands Conference Championship in the last five years Friday night with a 20-7 win over rival Hendersonville. The Wolverines did it with a smash mouth defense and big plays.

Deep in the first quarter the game was in a stalemate. The Wolverines came up short on two drives and the Bearcats were in the midst of their second drive when Cody Orick stepped up to make the first big play for the Wolverines.

With 1:56 left in the first quarter, Hendersonville quarterback Desmond Whitesides rolled out and threw the ball. What he found instead of a red jersey was Polks Orick making a diving grab for the interception.&bsp; Eight plays later, Orick capped the offensive drive with a 41-yard touchdown scamper up the gut of the Bearcat defense.

Coach Ollis told us that whoever makes the big plays will win, Orick said. I just happened to make a big play at the right time.

Orick wasnt the only Wolverine on the field making big plays. Senior lineman Tyler Philpott disrupted the Bearcat offense time and time again. The big guy, who coach Ollis tabbed as a manchild, had double-digit tackles and accounted for three sacks.

I knew I had to play big in the conference championship, Philpott said.

Polks next touchdown strike came with just under a minute left in the first half. Andre Overholt found Joel Booker in the corner of the endzone for a 29-yard touchdown strike.

The second score was key for the Wolverines. They headed to the locker rooms with a 14-0 lead.

The rest was left up to the defense and they rose to the occasion. The Bearcats didnt find the endzone until there was a little over three minutes left in the game. That score, however, was answered quickly by quarterback Andre Overholt. With 45.5 seconds left in the game, Overholt bobbed and weaved until he found the endzone from ten yards out for the final score.

Overholt was all smiles after his first win as starting quarterback against Hendersonville.

It feels great, especially in this atmosphere, he said. We just want it right now so bad. The desire to keep moving on is unbelievable.

That desire could lead to greatness, Ollis said.

Weve got five more games to win, the head coach said. This football team is capable of greatness.

The first game in that five-game stretch will be this Friday night. The Wolverines (10-1) will host Maiden (8-3) at home this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. as a No. 3 seed in the 2A state playoffs.&bsp; The winner will move on and play the winner of Starmount and East Rutherford.