First graduation creates opportunities for young Royals
Greenback looks to find the depth to rebound
2025 EDITION
The one where we tried doing a magazine
CLASS ACTION
How TSSAA changes impacted each team and its region
Book of Elis
Alcoa closes one chapter and turns the page
Woodcutters
Is this the year the Rebels bring down the Oak?
Down & Up Heritage, WB navigate new divisions
Josh Lane
Nate Tossado
Marcus Fitzsimmons
Scott Keller
Tom Sherlin
Hunter Price
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TORNADOES
Alcoa
Alcoa opens new chapter with move to Class 4A
lcoa doesn’t change its standard and the expectations within are a different focus than those on the outside. After rewriting the state’s history books with 23 TSSAA football titles, including 10 consecutive following last season’s BlueCross Bowl win over Westview, the Tornadoes chose to move up to Class 4A during the reclassification cycle where they’ll be the second smallest school in the class going into a new playoff formula. It’s enough change to fuel fan speculation on this season’s prospects for No. 24.
The changes don’t alter anything inside the eye of the Tornado program. The standard is for the players, and coaches, to get better every day. The expectation is a tradition of maximizing effort for this senior class and that the same will be true for these underclassmen when it’s time for their senior poster to be displayed on the railings of Bill Bailey Stadium. “I’m not worried about what we did last year, not worried about what we’re going to do, I was worried about today and did we get better in the hours we had,” Brian Nix said before entering his fourth season as head coach and 22nd at Alcoa. “I learned like nine million things from Gary Rankin. He dealt with that expectation of ‘you better at least be in state championship game, and you really ought to win it’ for 31 years, 15 of them here. That expectation can weigh on a ton of people, and I think it didn’t really weigh on him because he cared about the kids, and he always made it about the seniors.
“These seniors aren’t looking at we’ve won all these in a row because they know people will ask them, ‘How’d y’all do your senior year?’
That’s what’s going to get asked. These seniors they want to say for the rest of their life, ‘My senior year, we won a state championship and we beat Maryville.”
The first step is the first game. The KOC Maryville Jamboree closes out preseason and leads directly into Maryville Week. The Pistol Creek rivalry has moved back to Alcoa’s season opening spot for the first time since 2006.
Alcoa’s deep on experience and talent in key places but is still getting a sense of which pieces fit together best and when for the basic personnel package between offense and defense. The speed and talent at wideout and in the secondary will allow the Tornadoes to flex personnel into creating some matchups.
“We return a ton of experienced guys. Everybody on defense that’s coming back has played meaningful varsity snaps. We have some maturity and maturity comes when you face adversity,” Nix told The Daily Times.
“Things are going to go wrong in the Maryville game. We may sit there and be down 10 points, or like the Ravenwood game last year. A mature team just keeps on working and gives themself a chance. That’s
Demauri Dubose
The Book of Elis closed with the graduation of Eli Graf (Carson-Newman) and Eli Owens (Michigan). Alcoa won’t try to replicate Graf’s versatility nor the impact of Owens, whose efforts in a goal line stand against Maryville are instant legend. “It’s hard to go down in history here, you have do some pretty dang special among 100 years of football, that was probably the greatest goal line stand I’ve ever been a part of,” Nix said.
ROSTER of TORNADOES
A handful of transfers and several are integrating quickly into the Alcoa way and likely to have an impact. Sophomore Bryson Hawkins (Catholic) will be the long snapper and be in the mix on the defensive front. Hanes Hawkins (Bearden) could play receiver or at safety. Ton’Reon Brazelton (Bearden) will see time in both lines.
Cantrell
Braydin Stewart
Hunter Milsaps
Dakari Harris
Ezekial Moore
Demitrius Wells
Zayvion Neal
Cristian Posada
.. Russell Chambers
.. Akiriyon Gilmore
.. Braiden Oakes
what discipline and maturity can do. We’re a disciplined bunch and it’s more about pairing down to see what this group really does well together.”
OFFENSE
The Tornadoes have veterans on the offensive line and a deep stable of running back options while junior Thomas Manu takes over at quarterback and the receivers sort out who will be primary on offense.
Manu will draw a lot of scrutiny as the highest profile new starter but he performed well in his series under center last season and has the dual threat skills the Tornadoes prefer. Sophomore Lucah Daugherty will move into the backup spot Manu held last season.
“It’s hard to sit and say that anybody’s like Eli Graf, because Graf was pretty special. Thomas is his own player, and I think he’s got some some tools that we’ll be able to put on display,” Brian Gossett, offensive coordinator, said. “The biggest difference there is experience. Eli probably started close to 40 games in his career, and this will be Thomas’s first time starting. Most of the difference you’ll see is experience.”
The bulk of the Tornado toters return with junior Micah Jones (6-0, 200) the first
man up. The smaller speedsters are Demauri Dubose and Condis Cherry while Jermon Bishop (6-0, 240) can feature as the power back option. Senior Jaylen Penson will be the first option to solidify the H-back spot that Alcoa likes to flex around the formation as blocker, back or receiver depending on need.
The receiving group has all-state returners in Jamir Dean and JaColby Cooper but a lot of options and experience to draw on with nearly the whole group holding at least one 100-plus yard, multi-touchdown game from last season. The options include Landen Love, Condis Cherry, Demauri Dubose, Dale Hughes, Elijah Sadler and Jamerius Abuhania.
“There’s a big, old laundry list of kids that can that can get in there and go. It’s been pretty good for us to have a lot of options,” Gossett said.
Colton Moore is back at center as one of three returning starters on the line with allstater Marlee Watts and Texas tech commit Jacob Crowe back at the tackle spots. Sam Garland is likely for one of the guard positions after taking a lot of reps last season. Bearden transfer Ton’Reon Brazelton, junior Lane Ferguson and senior Elijah Carter will be in the mix for the fifth spot and heavy rotation duty.
PRINCIPAL: Chad Deal
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Josh Stephens
HEAD COACH: Brian Nix (4th season) 40-3; Playoffs 15-0
ASSISTANT COACHES: Brian Gossett, Richard Gamble, Drew Harmon, Jonathan Harris, Ben Love, Tim Russell, Walker Russell, Dakota Summers, David Sweetland, Alex Taylor, Jake Warwick
The Tornadoes chose to move up to Class 4A and trade Scott, Kingston and A-E for Gibbs, Fulton, South-Doyle and Carter. Alcoa also resumes a county rivalry with Heritage and ends the season with a showdown against Anderson County in the eight team region.
2025 SCHEDULE
08.22 Maryville 08.28 Bearden
09.05 at Gibbs *
09.11 at Knox West 09.19 at Union County * 09.26 at Fulton * 10.03 South-Doyle * 10.10 bye 10.17 at Heritage* 10.24 Carter * 10.30 Anderson County *
• Region 2-4A contest
Alcoa took a 40-6 win over Heritage in 2004 in the last game played before the rivalry series was halted. Now that they are region foes, the series resumes 21 years and 24 days later.
The Tornadoes’ decision to move to Class 4A makes Alcoa the second smallest school in the classification. Pearl Cohn and Kirby also opted to move up with Kirby the only 4A school with enrollment under 600.
21: 2: 1:
Maryville prevailed, 17-14, the last time Alcoa opened its season against the Rebels back in 2006. That Alcoa squad started 1-2 after a loss to Fulton but won its last 12 on the way to claiming state title No. 8.
Jamir Dean
RAVENWOOD 27, Alcoa 17
ALCOA 24 Bearden 22
ALCOA 31 Greeneville 13
ALCOA 43 Austin-East 7
ALCOA 28 Knox West 10
ALCOA 56 Scott 14
ALCOA 24 Maryville 17
ALCOA 56 Union County 8
ALCOA 49 Kingston 7
PLAYOFFS
ALCOA 56 Pigeon Forge 21
ALCOA 48 Austin-East 6
ALCOA 52 Gatlinburg-Pittman 7
ALCOA 38 Sequatchie County 3
ALCOA 40 Westview 21
The Tornadoes took a gut punch in an opening loss to 6A state semifinalist Ravenwood but learned enough tough lessons from the experience to win their next 13 straight including a win over rival and another 6A semifinalists in Maryville. The run included wins over 6A quarterfinalist Bearden and 5A quarterfinalist Knox West.
DEFENSE
The Tornado stop-group has a leader at every level, lots of experience and may need every bit of that in the season’s first month facing Maryville, Bearden, Knox West and Gibbs while the offense settles into place.
The disruption starts up front with seniors Kenny Harris, Carter Cowart, Blair Good-
‘These
seniors they want to say for the rest of their life, ‘My senior year, we won a state championship and we beat Maryville.’
Brian Nix, head coach
son and Brazelton. “Those are the main guys. Bishop, Bryson Hawkins, a sophomore transfer from Catholic, and Dante Harris will play some, but those four will really be the main ones,” Nix said.
Alcoa’s linebackers have the size and speed to be true terrors of the midway even though Cade Stinnett is the only senior. Junior Darius Sudderth (6-2, 220) and sophomore Jennaris
“Man Man” Henry (6-1, 200) have continued to build upon the great strides in development they made last season.
“Darius has developed into what we thought he could be two years ago. He’s a smart, tough kid. He’s probably got a 3.8 or 3.9 GPA and the nicest kid in the world until he gets on the field. When you say ‘he’s an Alcoa kid’ that’s what you want,” Nix said of the allstate wrestler. “Man Man is just a sophomore but he started 13 games as a freshman. He’s really come on. Even now he’s just skimming the surface of what kind of player he can be.”
Corey Manuel and Daugherty will provide some depth in the interior spot.
The secondary is deep and the basic personnel package can make adjustments to keep fresh legs on the field and play matchups with size or speed to scheme depending on where and when the Tornadoes leave a one-on-one or opt for a quantitative cover advantage.
“Every week you have to adjust your personnel and your scheme to what they do best. It’s about taking away their best player. It’s a game of what do we need to do to take him away or at least limit what he can do to us,” Nix said. “I think for us it gets easier as we get into the fall and it gets cooler and you can ask a kid to play 20 or 30 reps on the other side of the ball but that’s a hard thing to do in the Week 1 heat.”
Hanes Hawkins, a sophomore transfer from Bearden, joins a mix that includes Hughes and Sadler at the safety spots with veteran starters Abuhania, Jones and Dean.
“Having Hawkins in the mix can help us look more at playing some of the guys who’ve been back there more one way on offense,” Nix said.
Love and Laster, another Bearden transfer, are options at the cornerback spots to bolster last year’s starters Cherry and Dubose.
“That’s what we’re trying to shake out. What’s going to be our best group on defense to have another on offense and balance out the reps back there but it’s a lot of guys who have played a lot of football,” Nix said.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Manu will be the third straight Alcoa quarterback to take on punting duties as well. The Tornadoes like the options that combination of duties provides. The 2023 team was infamous, and largely successful, executing fake punts and while the ‘24 team didn’t rely on the fake, the threat of it provided its own advantage right up to the moment it ran its first fake
with a 40-yard chunk-play in the state title game.
“Thomas is a really good punter and we do a lot of rugby style punts and he can do really well there,” Nix said.
Cooper and Dean both have experience in the punt return game and are among several options for the kickoff return spots. Bryson Hawkins is taking over as the Tornado long snapper. Senior Kyrin Tyson lines up at kicker a little bigger and stronger after a couple iconic moments for Alcoa as a junior including the first walk-off field goal in Alcoa’s 100-year history.
“Tyson was great last year, and he’s been hammering it this fall,” Nix said.
“I think it helps that he’s a soccer player. I always say that ‘I’m a multiple sport guy.’ I think when he lined up to kick that field goal against Bearden last year, the fact that he had played in the state soccer tournament as a freshman really helped. He’d seen that kind of big-game pressure before he walked out there that night.”
— Marcus Fitzsimmons
1
Defenses aren’t going to start their To-Do List with stopping Eli Owens. The bad news is that opponents will be in more true stop formations. The good news is that tendency could let Alcoa pick its spots creating mismatches, in a different way.
The Tornadoes made their biggest jump following last season’s opening loss. With Maryville, Bearden and Knox West in the first four games, a loss might again be a formative moment for Alcoa.
2
Having seven region games gives Alcoa a full 10-game schedule for the first time in three seasons. It’s a gauntlet though and the showdown with Anderson County is likely a postseason stage-setter.
3
Jennaris “Man Man” Henry
ROYALS
Eagleton looking to raise the bar in program’s third year
agleton football is entering its third varsity season and the Royals have one of their last program firsts to handle. The first class, the one that battled through a junior varsity season as an all freshman team, and guided the program as its leadership base into a second jv season, the transition into varsity and then became the first seniors are gone leaving behind a mark of continued improvement and growth at ECCA. This year the Royals most embrace that first season of players departed and establishing how new leaders engage and who they will be.
The Class of 2024 left their mark, setting the groundwork for future generations to be successful. Their departure now opens new opportunities for returning and new Royals looking to build upon that infant foundation.
“That senior class is something special, not saying their names for the first time in three years is different,” Eagleton head coach Stephen Childs said. “We’ve been talking about them and what they meant to us. There’s some big shoes to fill up front, we lost a center and a guard and Scottey Ellison and Charlie Johnson, and then obviously lost a quarterback last year to graduation. That senior class means a lot to this school, to this program, to the history of what this program is, and they left a great foundation for us to continue to build on.”
Even with 15 seniors departed Eagleton is more than capable of having a successful year with several of the Village’s best players returning. Core team leaders like All-State wide receiver Lane Cope and All-State defensive lineman Tyson Click look to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Colton Relation looks for another breakout year at running back. Not to mention a slew of newcomers like Noel Meza-Flores and Cody Lewis.
“We’re super excited about the returners that we have,” Childs said. “They’ve been here the whole time too, right? They were eighth graders when this program started, and now they got to see a senior class graduate. So it’s not new. Not everything is new to this senior class. We’re excited about that. We’re excited about the returners that we have. We’re excited about the leadership that we have, and we look forward to kicking this thing off.”
This year will also see Eagleton move from Region 1-2A to Region 2-2A. The Royals will now be directly competing against Oneida, Polk County and Tellico Plains. With just four total teams in the region, the Royals had to schedule seven non-region games. Scheduling was further complicated when Week 2 opponent, The King’s Academy, announced they would not be competing in 2025.
“We’re excited about our schedule, our travels
Eagleton
Colton Relation
The Royals find themselves in an unfamiliar possession having graduated their first class of seniors. Major losses include Eagleton’s starting quarterback Nate Clemmer along with top receiver Navaar MacDonald-Risner. One of the biggest tolls was taken on Eagleton’s offensive and defensive line as they lost two starters Scottey Ellison and Charlie Johnson
ROSTER of ROYALS
The Royals have their fair share of upcoming talent including rising sophomore Easton Britton at linebacker. Dual sports athlete Noel Meza-Flores is putting on the pads for the first time since middle school. Meza-Flores is one of Eagleton’s top basketball talents and is expected to make an impact at the receiver position. Greenback transfer Cody Lewis will also get some touches helping out Colton Relation in the backfield.
Peter Messer
Joseph Graves
David Avila
are not near as far as it has been the last two years and we’re looking forward to it.” Childs said.
OFFENSE
The Royals lost some heavy hitters offensively, with the biggest gap left at the quarterback position. Nate Clemmer was responsible for 22 touchdowns, 1,479 passing yards and some of Eagleton’s biggest drives last season. and now the role will be taken up by junior Mason Mitchell.
Mitchell, who was Clemmer’s backup during his sophomore year, brings his own style to the position with his biggest strengths being his ability to read the field and adapt to offensive pressure. The 6-foot-3,180 pound quarterback saw limited action last year but did connect with a 83-yard touchdown pass against Cumberland Gap.
“Quarterback was very productive for us last year. We lost a lot of offense from (Clemmer’s) productivity,” Childs said. “With Mason, he’s a very, very intelligent kid. He sees what we’re talking about. He sees what the defenses are doing. He understands what we’re trying to do and he’s got a lot of weapons to get the ball too. We’re excited about his progress.”
Mitchell came to Eagleton last year and practiced every day until Week 8, when he finally became eligible. The Royals’ new quarterback has quickly established himself as someone that is familiar with Eagleton’s playbook and understands what the coaching staff is trying to accomplish.
“We’re looking forward to his leadership, his knowledge of the offense and his coachability. We’re excited about what he can do this year.” Childs said.
Along with Mitchell, Eagleton still has a couple of offensive threats including Relation. In his junior campaign, Relation recorded 12 touchdowns and netted over 800 all-purpose yards. With Mitchell a first-time starter under center, Relation will carry a heavy workload.
“I would say I’m pretty confident,” Relation said. “We got two new running backs (Parker and Cody Lewis) coming in a pretty good size. So I think I’ll definitely help us out a lot. Be able to give me a breather if I need it, I’ll be able to sub in and out. I think it’s going to work out pretty good.”
Relation, along with the rest of the seniors, have already set long-term goals like recording the program’s first win in the playoffs.
Eagleton’s offense will flow through senior receiver Cope, a Region 2-2A selection. Last
PRINCIPAL: Mark Dowlen
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Scott West
HEAD COACH: Stephen Childs (3rd season) 10-12; Playoffs 0-2
ASSISTANT COACHES: Eric Anderson, Scott Branton, Seth Brewton, Jake Coppenger, Caleb Elkins, Dalton Graumann, Mike Hill, Kyle Valentine, Nick Winstead
ATHLETIC TRAINER: Leila Siano
THE ROYALS
COLORS: Royal Blue & Black
CLASS: Region 2-2A
HOME: Eagleton Field
PLAYOFFS: 0-2 in two appearances
REALIGNMENT
The Royals remain in Class 2A but have swapped Region 1 for Region 2. Their new, four-team region consists of Oneida, Polk County and Tellico Plains. Former Region 2 teams Alvin C. York and Bledsoe County are in Region 3 this season, while Wartburg Central dropped down to Class 1A.
2025 SCHEDULE
08.22 Oliver Springs
08.29 McMinn Central
09.05 Providence Academy
09.12 at Sullivan East
09.19 West Greene
09.26 at Greenback
10.03 at Tellico Plains*
10.10 bye
10.17 at Polk County*
10.24 at South Greene
10.30 Oneida*
• Region 2-2A contest
The Royals won six games last year, improving on the number of wins they had in their debut season by two games. Eagleton has all the tools to match, if not to exceed that number with a healthy mix of new and returning talent.
6: 7:
Eagleton’s quarterback will still wear No. 7. Instead of the familiar face of Nate Clemmer, Mason Mitchell will take up the mantle. Mitchell saw limited in-game action last year but has been preparing all-offseason .
12:
Eagleton has 12 seniors on its roster, who will be key to leading the charge. The Royals hope that long-time chemistry will translate against this year’s opponents.
Lane Cope
TELLICO PLAINS 22, Eagleton 14
EAGLETON 24, Scott 10
ONEIDA 13, Eagleton 0
EAGLETON 37, West Greene 15
HAPPY VALLEY 27, Eagleton 19
EAGLETON 36, Wartburg 20
EAGLETON 62, North Greene 28
SOUTH GREENE 28, Eagleton 20
EAGLETON 36, Hampton 20
EAGLETON 47, Cumberland Gap 12
PLAYOFFS
BLEDSOE COUNTY 45, Eagleton 0
Eagleton recorded several standout wins in its second varsity season including a 62-28 romp over North Greene and 47-12 victory over Cumberland Gap. On the flip side, the Royals let a few pivotal games slip from their hands, losing by a single possession. Eagleton made it into the postseason for the second consecutive year.
season he recorded 667 yards on 59 receptions with eight touchdowns.
Up front, three-year starter Trevor Bright will be a pillar of the offensive Line. Childs said that the team has moved around some
‘That senior class means a lot to this school, to this program, to the history of what this program is, and they left a great foundation for us to continue to build on’
Stephen Childs, head coach
players that play defensive line, and Connor Cox is going to help on the line as well.
DEFENSE
Eagleton plans to put an extra focus on defense. Last season, multiple games were in the Royals’ grasp, but a few defensive miscues were the difference. The Royals don’t shy away from their mistakes but hope to evolve and learn from them.
“Year one, we talked about progress and expectations for a first year program, when those seniors finished 4-6,” Childs said. “The next season, that senior class was able to lead us to a 6-4 record. And when you look at what the progress there was, the two wins but the four losses last year were two-score games against Oneida, one-score game to South Greene and Happy Valley, and another onescore game against Tellico Plains. So we want to be able to finish games.
“We were close. We’ve seen progress, we’ve seen growth, but we’ve got to be able to find a way to win.”
That “way to win” started as soon as the season came to a close with Eagleton’s players hitting the weight room, reviewing film and trusting in one another. The Royals understand the importance that focusing on every defensive position could make or break their season.
One of the biggest names on the Royals defensive unit is the senior Click. The multisports, All-State athlete recorded 94 total tackles, including 63 solo. Cope was a true menace in the trenches with 5.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and a blazing 31 assists. The Royals place high expectations on Cope, who has proven to be a high-motor, high-intensity athlete.
“We also return Adam Fife, weak side
EdMitchell Mayor 341CourtSt Maryville,TN37804 (865)273-5700
outside linebacker,” Childs said. “Along with Easton Britton, Lane Cope and Jonathan Joyal. We have a lot of returners that were in that starting defense last year, that have been in the weight room one more year, have put on some pounds strength-wise as well as weight.”
While Cope, Joyal and Click were leaders in their own right last year, being seniors, they are expected to set the tone.
“It’s a lot more pressure,” Click said. “I know we have a lot more younger kids than we did last year, so we have to fill those shoes to be good leaders.”
The Royals believe the recipe for success is there, and if they start connecting, not many teams can stop them.
“We’re all about our defense and what we think they’re capable of doing,” Childs added. “We’re going to hold them to a standard, play fast, be physical and swarm the football.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Eagleton took a bit of a hit on its special teams Unit with kicker Gabe Steinbach graduating. Now, junior Braylon Stephens will pick up duties as the team’s primary kicker.
“Gabe was a great mentor to our returning kicker Stephens last year,” Childs said. “He’s a soccer player and plays keeper. We got him out through him being in our strength and conditioning class. And he was with Gabe every day, and they worked together. He will be representing number 18 because of his mentor. So big, big shoes to fill. But we’re confident in him and excited to see what he can do.”
One of the Royals biggest strengths on special teams is the slew of players able to handle punt returns. The rotation of different players will keep their opponents on their toes and help maintain Royals always
“I think we’re blessed with people that can catch the ball ... that’s not a super easy position to be back there on an island by yourself,” Childs said. “I think we’ve got four guys that will rotate through there and secure the catch. And we got some big-play capability out of some of our dudes. So we’re excited. Our specialty guys will be names that we’ve already mentioned, Lane Cope, Colton Relation, Caylor Jackson and Wyott Matossian.”
— Nate Tosado
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
Playing a four-team region, Eagleton automatically secures a postseason berth. It’s a matter of WHERE not IF for the Royals. Eagleton could potentially head as far west as Carthage in the first two rounds.
1
In 2024, Eagleton had two players earn All-State honors, defensive lineman Tyson Click and wide receiver Lane Cope. Both return to The Village and have set goals to be even better.
2
A month before the start of the season, Eagleton’s Week 2 opponent, The King’s Academy, announced it would not compete this season. The Royals had to shuffle the schedule around, moving McMinn Central to Week 2 and adding Providence Academy in Week 3.
3
Tyson Click
Greenback
CHEROKEES Greenback ready for year one of Wilhite Era
reenback is ready for a fresh start. Not many things bring as much excitement to the Greenback community than the start of a new football season. In many ways, this fall marks the dawn of a new era for the Cherokees.
The 2024 campaign came to an abrupt end with the team sliding to handful of wins and falling short of the postseason for the first time in 16 years. Greenback replaced second-year head coach Tommy Clemmer midway through the season and interim coach Gray Williams was replaced at the end of the year. After the young team navigated those outside distractions, several players left their final game with thoughts of what could have been.
It wasn’t that long ago when Greenback was at the top of the Class A football world, having won the TSSAA title in 2017. The team returned in 2019 and claimed runner-up. Since the pandemic, the Cherokee program has struggled to meet the expectations of that championship contender legacy.
The changes came fast over the offseason with former Lenoir City defensive coordinator Richie Wilhite being tabbed as the Greenback’s new head coach in January. Wilhite added a slew of assistant coaches around him including son Cody Wilhite and former Lenoir City coach Zach Payne, further reshaping Greenback’s identity.
The long-time football coach hopes to bring some stability to the position that has been a rollercoaster of hires since Greg Ryan left in 2021. Wilhite will represent the fourth head coach in three seasons. The Cherokees seem to have embraced the latest change and are optimistic as they've started gaining momentum.
“Things have been great,” Wilhite said. “The summer went by extremely fast and fall camp was on us before we knew it. Throughout the whole summer, the kids have worked hard. Attendance has been great, our numbers are good and we're sitting at 40 players right now. Our kids like to come to work. It's been a breath of fresh air to come in to work with these guys and see how hard they work and how hard they want to, how much they want to get.”
Greenback faces a challenging schedule adding out-of-region tests against Tellico Plains and Eagleton with the usual slate of seven Region 2-1A opponents.
The Cherokees understand that wins won't come easy and every game matters. The buzz around team camp is one of determination and willingness to compete for themselves, but more importantly, for each other.
“We play in a very tough region,” Wilhite said. “I think (the competitive schedule) is going to be good for all of us. With me being new as well as to kind of get our feet wet early on with some out-of-region games. Our region, as tough as it gets.”
The challenging schedule means the Cherokees must be on their A-Game from Week 1. Wilhite said that the team has put in the preparation now it's
Cade Breedlove
The Cherokees lost a couple key impact players from last season. Senior running back Chad Davis was one of Greenback’s most effective rushers. Davis’ absence now leaves a sizable gap in the position. Last year's starting quarterback Cody Lewis transferred to Eagleton.
Two impact players that have the potential to turn heads this year include sophomore Moses Bowling and freshman Jaxson Smith. Bowling is a pure competitor for the Cherokees who is able to run routes as a receiver but also fill in as a reliable alternate running back. Smith is a newcomer expected to get ample playing time on both sides of the ball.
time to execute what they learned under the lights.
“We have to come ready to go every week,” Wilhite said.
OFFENSE
The playbook will look a bit different from previous seasons under Wilhite. Last season, the Cherokees attempted to run the ball by “brute force." The new philosophy will continue with that tradition of the run game but supplemented to include signature, crafty Wilhite running schemes and situational calls.
“We're bringing in a little bit more of a heavy-run mentality,” Wilhite said. “We want to be as physical as we can possibly be. And we've got quite a few backs that we can rotate in and they have some good skill sets that we're going to count on those guys to kind of be the backbone for us. And up front, our offensive line is doing a great job, and we're going to rely on them to make a way for those backs.”
Senior Luke Morris and junior Cooper Barlow will be key offensive linemen with younger players looking to them to set the tone. Greenback’s four seniors — Gavin Payne, Charlie Hall, Terry Stow and Morris
It’s important for the Cherokees to take the season one game at a time. The Cherokees don’t need to look too far ahead into the schedule. It’s a mindset that a majority of Greenback’s upperclassmen and team have bought into.
—will lead the way in many aspects. Payne will be a key target for the Cherokees already having ample high school playing time. With many of Greenback’s top receivers graduated, all eyes will be on Payne down field.
“Payne will be one of our top receivers,” Wilhite said. “Charlie will rotate him for us, probably play some on defense as well. And Elliott (Lindsey) is a junior, he's going to be one of the guys that we're going to count on a lot to run the ball and kind of get our defense lined up.”
Hall will also be an X-factor for Greenback.
“Looking up to them as I was coming up, I learned a lot from all of them,” Hall said. “And so I kind of just go off what they do and just focus on me this year.”
Wilhite mentioned several other players that will alternate getting touches on the ground, including junior Cade Breedlove and sophomore Moses Bowling along with freshman Lucas Clifford. The three have been with Greenback for several years and have varsity playing experience.
Greenback was shut out in four games last season and scored one touchdown in three games. The Cherokees are looking to not only surpass that low bar of production but clear it and not look back.
GREENBACK
PRINCIPAL: Matt Brookshire
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Bill Satterfield
HEAD COACH: Richie Wilhite (1st season) 0-0; Playoffs 0-0
ASSISTANT COACHES: Leo Gonzalez, Sam McCloud, Zach Payne, Kate Waddell, Cody Wilhite
THE CHEROKEES
COLORS: Orange & Black
CLASS: Region 2-1A
HOME: Cooper Field
STATE TITLES: 2 — 1987, 2017
PLAYOFFS: 50-30 in 32 appearances
REALIGNMENT
The Cherokees stay put in Region 2-1A with only one change to the eightteam region. Coalfield, Harriman, Midway, Oakdale, Oliver Springs and Rockwood are still in the region, but newcomer Wartburg Central replaces Sunbright.
2025 SCHEDULE
08.22 at Tellico Plains
08.29 Cosby
09.05 Midway *
09.12 at Harriman*
09.19 Oliver Springs*
09.26 Eagleton
10.03 at Wartburg
10.10 bye 10.17 Oakdale*
10.24 at Coalfield*
10.31 at Rockwood*
• Region 2-1A contest
Greenback has 40 players listed ahead of kickoff against Tellico Plains. It’s a stark contrast compared to the last two seasons where numbers fell under 30 and personnel was a practice issue.
The Cherokees ran for less than 700 yards. It’s a number that the Cherokees will look to improve with some of the crafty running plays that are in the new coach's playbook.
Gavin Payne
LOUDON 42, Greenback 6
WHITWELL 48, Greenback 0
COALFIELD 60, Greenback 0
HARRIMAN 41, Greenback 0
GREENBACK 34, Oakdale 6
ROCKWOOD 46, Greenback 12
MIDWAY 35, Greenback 0
ONEIDA 31, Greenback 6
GREENBACK 38, Sunbright 8
OLIVER SPRINGS 55, Greenback 6
LAST SEASON
Greenback struggled early on in the season and was outscored 191-6 throughout their first four games. The Cherokees picked up a much needed win against Oakdale and against Sunbright towards the end of the year. The Cherokees replaced their second-year head coach Tommy Clemmer in September and under interim coach Gray Williams, struggled to get back into the win column. The Cherokees missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
“I'm pretty excited after the season we had last year," Payne said. “Now we have a lot more players. We got Elliott, it's going to be a lot of help. It looks like we're going to be a lot better than we were last year. We've already looked
‘Our kids like to come to work. It's been a breath of fresh air to come in to work with these guys and see how hard they work and how hard they want to, how much they want to get.’
Richie Wilhite, head coach
like we've already improved a lot in summer camp. It's just exciting.”
DEFENSE
Strong defense has been a staple in Greenback football and another recent casualty. The Cherokees were outscored 191-6 over the first four games last year. Wilhite, a back-to-back Region 3-5A Defensive Coordinator of the
Year with Lenoir City, intends to lift the stop group back to its former glory.
“(The transition from Lenoir City) has been good and we took our same defense and we've installed it here, and it really fits the mold of these kids and the mentality that we want to have with the football,” Wilhite said. “We want to be upset when we get there and our guys are hard-nosed, and they've bought into that mentality. We're going to try to swarm the ball and try to keep people out of the end zone.”
Leading the way on the defensive side of the ball are players like sophomore lineman Lucas Bryant. The 6-foot-1, multi-sport athlete gives Greenback’s line some much needed size. The small senior class will also act as on-the-field leaders on the defensive side of things as well.
“Bryant is going to be a big, big guy for us up front,” Wilhite said. “He's going to plug a lot of holes for us. And Elliot (Lindsey) and Tate Anderson will also be at linebacker. They'll help us get lined up. And then in the secondary, we're going to be pretty young, Carson Loope, Jackson Smith, Cale Stinnett and Cooper Holt. Those guys, they're long and rangy, they're athletic, and they don't shy away from contact, it's a great complement for us.”
Greenback’s linemen will be fairly young with Holt being a junior, Loope entering his sophomore year and Smith and Stinnett being
freshmen. Several upperclassmen said they can really see the improvement and the strides the team has made defensively this offseason.
Greenback’s biggest strength is how close they are beyond the football field.
“We've really focused on seeing the field better and know what's going on, know the plays and bringing people up instead of bringing them down,” Lindsey said. “Having a player led team gives you a better chance of winning than coach led teams. We've got a lot stronger in the weight room, and everyone's put on some weight and are working hard.”
The Cherokees struggled to contain the run game of region powerhouses like Oliver Springs, Coalfield and Harriman, who averaged well over 100 rushing yards per game. It's an area of focus during the offseason and a stat-line they hope to limit this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
In order to reach new heights as a program, Greenback’s special teams unit must be
present. The kicking position at Greenback all but faded away with the team opting to go for a 2-point conversation more often than not in recent years. This year will be different, with the senior Stow and sophomore Jonah Holloway listed as primary kickers.
“We got two kickers that are exclusively kickers only,” Wilhite said. “We're going to try to be traditional, and score touchdowns and kick extra points.”
As always, Greenback will rely on their younger players to fill in the gaps in the third phase.
“We're still going to be extremely young, we just have four seniors,” Wilhite said. “We're going to count on a lot of our juniors, sophomores, and even some freshmen, especially, to plug in those gaps on special teams. Those are big, big reps that they're going to take to control that third phase of the game, and so we're hoping we can win that phase.”
— Nate Tosado
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
The Cherokees went 0-5 on Cooper Field. The last time that Greenback won on its own field was in 2023, when it routed Sunbright, 46-14, on Nov. 19. The 'Kees will look to break that streak when they host Cosby on Aug. 29.
1
Be on the look out for Elliott Lindsey. The transfer from Knox Catholic has made a big splash for the Cherokees in preseason. He recorded 88 tackles with the Fighting Irish as a sophomore.
2
Greenback's first region game will be a home matchup against Midway in Week 3 of the season. After winning just two region games last year. this will be an important early-season contest.
3
Cameron Wilbur
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MOUNTAINEERS
Heritage
Heritage expects to yield ‘return on investment’
eritage knows it’s crunch time. The Mountaineers’ window to win with their current core is closing. They missed out on the playoffs in each of first three seasons under head coach Joe Osovet. With the class of freshmen from Osovet’s first season in 2022 listed as seniors on the current roster, and 17 starters returning, Heritage is poised to snap its eight-year playoff drought as it moves into Class 4A.
It’s the last chance for the 11 Mountaineer seniors, nine of whom have been in the program for four years, to climb over that elusive playoff threshold before graduating. The senior class missed out on the postseason by a single game in each of the first three roller-coaster years of their high school careers. Falling short no doubt made for some frustrating and sleepless nights, but in the long run, Heritage has learned from those mistakes and is all the better for it.
“This has to be a playoff year for us for all the reasons being,” Osovet told The Daily Times. “It’s the most veteran group we’ve had it’s since I’ve been here. We played these freshmen when I first took over this program. We played them as true freshmen that really weren’t ready to play from a physical standpoint, from a mental standpoint.
“We took our lumps and now, hopefully, we get some return on our investment with those guys. I like where we’re at. The moral victories are over here at Heritage. We’ve got to punch our ticket this year.”
Heritage sees its new region in Class 4A, though top-heavy, as more favorable for a top-four finish and a playoff berth. The Mountaineers open the year with non-conference matchups against Clinton and CAK before beginning Region 2-4A play. The Battle of the Bell is a Rivalry Thursday televised game on Oct. 2, and they will end the season with a three-game region gauntlet of Alcoa, Gibbs and Union County.
It’s all been building to this moment, and the Mountaineers are ready to answer the postseason call.
“Hopefully, the three years, the 30 snaps in our belt, the playing in the big games, that enables you to punch your ticket to get into the playoffs,” Osovet said. “That stage isn’t too big for us this year.”
OFFENSE
Heritage’s production under the offensive-guru Osovet starts with two capable quarterbacks, the largest line the program has seen in some time, and a deep mix at the skill positions. The Mountaineers know what they’re capable of when all is functioning at a high level, as they scored a program-record 61 points against Clinton in last year’s regular-season finale.
Two veteran players are back leading Osovet’s quarterback-centered, Bolt offense. Gaven French was the starter last year, but Madden McNeil, after transferring in from Greenback, filled
Thomas Bowers
Heritage graduated its two best players from last season, Cole McCampbell and Carson Weber. The pass rushing duo, who are still teammates at Cumberland University, were both All-Region players in 2024, and McCampbell was a TSWA All-State selection. One of the Mountaineers’ top receiver, Armony Dunn, is also playing collegiately.
With so much returning talent, the Mountaineers don’t expect a ton of contributions from underclassmen, but Troy Ervin and Reed Odom are two young players who could make an impact. Both sophomores could see significant snaps on both sides of the football. Ervin will slot in at safety and is in the mix at wide receiver. Odom is one of several Mountaineers in the defensive line rotation and can run the football as the offense needs.
in admirably during the middle months of the season while French missed time with an upper body injury.
French, for as good of a quarterback as he is, is an even better baseball player. As of Heritage’s first fall scrimmage with Gatlinburg-Pittman, French had yet to practice with the football team as he participated in the Prep Baseball Future Games in Georgia. Osovet was confident that the French, a junior and veteran of his system, could jump right back into things when he does finish with the prestigious baseball tournament. In the meantime, McNeil, a senior, has kept pace working as the starter.
“Both of them expect to play for us,” Osovet said of his quarterbacks. “Love both of them. Both of them had game reps for us last year. Now two years under our system, it all starts at that position. We’ll be as good as they play on offense. We have high expectations, like I said, both of them have quality snaps under the belt.”
Blocking for French and McNeil will be Heritage’s more physically impressive offensive line in years. Three of last year’s five starters are returning, and the two vacancies the Mountaineers filled were with 300-pounders.
Senior guard Mason Justice is 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, and his opposite, junior Weston Davis, is 6-foot-4 and over 300 pounds.
The two Mountaineer tackles, seniors Bryce Shelton (6-4, 280) and Ethan Gibson (6-0, 260), anchor the outside of the line. Heritage’s shortest lineman, senior center David Ashby, is a two-year starter, has the best footwork of the group and is the key piece in the offense’s communication.
“Three of the five have 30 games under the belt,” Osovet said. “And the two that we inserted there are 300 and 290-pound players. It’s the biggest line since I’ve been here.”
Heritage’s skill positions are mostly the same from a year ago. The electric pass catcher Armony Dunn graduated, but leading receiver Dylan Burgess is back along with Ethan Bryant on the perimeter. Sophomore Troy Ervin also figures to see action at receiver.
Thomas Bowers, after a terrific junior year, is the Mountaineers’ top running back. Kayden Filipo, who moved from California before the start of last season, is another option to run the football — a speedster who ran a 10.9 in the 100 meter dash for the track team over the spring. Junior Bubba Patterson
PRINCIPAL: Jed West
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Robbie Bennett
HEAD COACH: Joe Osovet (4th season) 12-18
ASSISTANT COACHES: Patrick Caylor, Jeremiah Coffelt, Dustin Peels, Josh Pipkin, Bryce Ruis, Keith Thomas, Josh Whitehead
MOUNTAINEERS
COLORS: Scarlett & Columbia Blue on Grey CLASS: Region 2-4A
HOME: James D. Lillard Field at Jack Renfro Stadium
PLAYOFF RECORD: 2-7 in seven appearances
REALIGNMENT
The Mountaineers move down to Class 4A, trading a brutal Region 2-5A schedule (Central, Halls, Powell and West) for a just-as-potent eight-team region of Alcoa, Anderson County, Carter, Fulton, Gibbs, South-Doyle and Union County. South-Doyle moves from non-conference to region foe in the first 4-A action. The Mountaineers also meet former rival Alcoa in a region game.
2025 SCHEDULE
08.22 at Clinton
08.29 at Christian Acad of Knoxville 09.05 South-Doyle* 09.12 Anderson County* 09.19 at Fulton* 09.26 Carter* 10.02 William Blount 10.10 bye 10.17 Alcoa* 10.24 at Gibbs* 10.30 at Union County*
• Region 2-4A contest
Heritage allowed 122 fewer points in the 2024 season (232) than it did in 2023 (354).
With 9 of its 11 defensive starters returning, the unit expects to continue that downward trend.
The Mountaineers finished 2024 at 5-5, their first season with a .500 or better record in 24 years. Heritage was 5-5 in the 2016 regular season, but lost in the playoffs. Its last winning season was 1999.
122: 24: 8:
With a win in the Battle of the Bell, Heritage could make it two consecutive victories over WB . The Mountaineers last went back-to-back in the rivalry in 2016-17. The 2017 win was also Heritage’s last home victory in the rivalry series.
Madden McNeil
MARYVILLE 51, Heritage 0
HERITAGE 32, South-Doyle 2
HERITAGE 35, William Blount 14
POWELL 38, Heritage 0
HERITAGE 35, Karns 0
KNOX WEST 38, Heritage 13
HALLS 41, Heritage 17
HERITAGE 45, Lenoir City 0
KNOX CENTRAL 35, Heritage 10
HERITAGE 61, Clinton 13
LAST SEASON
Heritage took a step forward in 2024 with a 5-5 campaign. It beat rival William Blount, shut out Karns and Lenoir City, then finished the year scoring a school-record 61 points on Clinton. The region win, and subsequent playoff berth, continued to prove elusive for the Mountaineers. A winless Region 2-5A slate extended their postseason drought to eight seasons.
could get some carries, as could sophomore Reed Odom.
“It’s the biggest we’ve been up front, and hopefully, that equates to us being able to run the football more efficiently than we’ve done in years past,” Osovet said. “If you can do that, then it sets up the throw game. I like we’re at offensively. I thought we had a really good
‘We took our lumps and now, hopefully, we get some return on our investment with those guys. I like where we’re at.’
Joe Osovet, head coach
camp in that regard. We have a lot of veterans, so the expectations were that going in.”
DEFENSE
Heritage’s defense is poised to be the strongest it’s been in the Osovet era. Returning nine of 11 defensive starters, the unit is deep, veteran, and has 30 games of experience inside
Heritage’s system. After allowing 354 points (over 35 points per game) in 2023, the Mountaineers made great strides holding opponents to 23.2 points a game in 2024.
The two defensive Mountaineers that graduated, Cole McCampbell and Carson Weber, were as impactful as players could be from the edge rusher position — both All-Region players who went on to the collegiate level. Their absence left a serious mark on the defensive front, but Heritage has plenty of options to complement the rest of its returning front seven.
Leading that group are stalwart linebackers, senior Thomas Bowers and junior Connor Wheeler, and sophomore Reed Odom, at the Jack linebacker position, is one of the few underclassmen expected to contribute. Zayne Walker and Trenton Francis are back on the defensive line, while Weston Davis will play some in the three technique in addition to his offensive line duties. Junior Sam Roberts is on the interior D-line, and Heritage has a rotation of four other players than can all go behind him.
“In my opinion, I think we have the two best linebackers in East Tennessee in Connor Wheeler and Thomas Bowers,” Osovet said. “We’re going to do some shuffling to get Cole McCampbell and Carson Weber around. We
have a good rotation going there. We’re going to mix and match our interior play. Coach (Josh) Whitehead has done a phenomenal job in the camp of keeping kids fresh, because we have a couple kids going both ways, to be able to keep kids fresh and still get the quality reps we need.”
The Mountaineers are also deep in their secondary, all of whom return. Burgess returns at corner, as does junior Ethan Bryant and senior Teagan Ruehling, who led the team in interceptions a season ago. Sophomore Troy Ervin is expected to play weak-side safety.
“It’s a veteran group,” Osovet said. “You talk about guys that have played with us and are familiar with the system, which is huge. All those guys are back with quality snaps under their belt.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
After two years of special teams struggles, last year’s hiring of Josh Pipkin as special teams coordinator was a revelation for the
Mountaineers, who promptly cut down on the third-phase miscues that had often proved costly.
Pipkin is back leading the Mountaineers’ special teams for a second season, and with their veteran presence and depth from returners to blockers, the unit is primed for another strong season.
“Special teams is good because we have so much depth,” Osovet said. “This is coach Pipkin’s second year, so a lot of the same things we’re doing, there’s familiarity within the schematics of what we’re doing. The depth there gives us a lot of flexibility as well, especially on special teams.”
Heritage does have to replace a consistent kicker in Bladimir Artiga, but it went back to the soccer pitch to recruit junior Gavin Hyatt, who has looked “phenomenal” through summer camp. Sophomore Zane Jakobitz is another kicking option for the Mountaineers. — Josh Lane
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
It will be master versus apprentice as Heritage takes on Clinton to open the season, a game now set for Saturday, Aug. 23. The Dragon’s first-year head coach, Jake Dawson, spent 2022 and ‘23 as the Heritage defensive coordinator.
1
After missing out on the playoffs by a single game in each of the last three seasons, Heritage’s work will be cut out in Region 2-4A. Only the top four teams advance out of a region that was already loaded.
2
Heritage defeated South-Doyle in an early-season test in 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Mountaineers will host the Cherokees in their region-opener on Sept. 5, which could prove an important test for their playoff aspirations.
3
REBELS
Maryville hopes to surge past the Oakland hurdle
aryville dashed all the doubters with a return to form in 2024. Outside noise was creeping up after the Rebels skidded to a 7-5 campaign in 2023, but they responded by winning 12 games and returned to the exceedingly high program standard of the last quarter century. The Rebels won their first eight contests, went undefeated in Region 2-6A play and returned to the state semifinals after falling short of their usual Thanksgiving-week benchmark.
Oakland is still the team to beat — Maryville led early but faltered late for its fourth semifinal loss to Oakland in five seasons — but the Rebels believe this year’s team has the right mix of experience and motivation to climb past the Patriots in a new playoff formula. Maryville, in its 2019 championship run, is still the last team to have beaten Oakland in the semifinals.
“What a great year we had,” Maryville coach Derek Hunt told The Daily Times. “If we learned anything last year, we learned that we’re still one of the best football teams in the state. We proved that last year that we’re really close. And so what’s it going to take for us to get over the hump?
“We’ve ran into a buzz saw for a few years in a row with Oakland. They’ve been so good for so long, but we’ve also been the only team that’s gotten over the hump the most recently besides Oakland. We’re excited about this season and I hope we can have a lot of good wins.”
Getting off to good starts in games is a key focus for the Rebels, and on a larger scale, starting off the season the right way will be equally as important. Maryville opens the year with two non-conference doozies, Alcoa and Knox West, before opening region play at Bearden in Week 3. Their third non-region game is an October road trip to Cookeville, while region bouts against Bradley Central and Oak Ridge will be a final tune-up as the Rebels look to make it past the semifinals.
“We’ve never really had problems resetting,” Hunt said. “This team’s just so much different. Last year was a fantastic year. We had a really good team and honestly had a chance to be playing for a state championship again. A couple different plays go our way in the Alcoa game that we lost late, but also in the Oakland game. The two that we lost, we had chances to win them in the second half and just didn’t take advantage of it. And that’s on me to get our kids ready to go.”
OFFENSE
Will Jones returns at starting quarterback, the job he won midseason as a freshman. This season will be Jones’ third as the varsity starter, and it’s a rarity for a quarterback, especially one who’s still a junior, to have that much experience. After some growing pains over the second half of the 2023 season — his introduction to high school football as a 15-year old freshman — Jones blossomed into bona fide star last year, where he threw for 2,369 and 30 touchdowns. Jones has a pocket presence and accuracy beyond his years and is also a sneaky threat on the ground.
Maryville
Will Jones
ROSTER of REBELS
Maryville’s rushing attack took a hit with the graduations of Price Davis, Alex Boyd and Henry Chambers, all of whom signed collegiately. Nolan White was among Maryville’s most influential leaders on the defense, while top tackler Matthew Covert and lineman Zak Hampel graduated as well.
RISING STARS
Cam Porter is a senior, but for the first time in his career, he’s set to be Maryville’s lead running back. Porter played well in limited opportunities as Price Davis’ backup last year, averaging nearly four yards a carry, but he also missed the last month of the season with a hairline fracture in his collarbone. He’s expected to lead the Rebel backfield in 2025. Sophomore Quincy Prigmore is one of the few underclassmen who could factor in on a veteran-laden team. Prigmore is in the mix for Maryville’s two open offensive line jobs.
“Experience at quarterback is not something you can coach or teach,” Hunt said of Jones. “They just got to do it. For better or for worse, Will got a lot (of experience) his freshman year and then all of last year. He had a phenomenal sophomore season. Obviously he’s somebody we’re going to be counting on.”
Three of Jones’ five blockers are back, but the two graduations on the offensive line — collegiate players Alex Boyd and Henry Chambers — are absences that will be felt. Returners Nic Henderlight, Brody Smith and Nash Stinnett anchor the offensive line at center and on the left side, respectively, but the two positions on the right are up for grabs. Hunt even called those battles for the final O-line jobs the most important of the offseason.
Juniors Landon Marcus and Gabe Schito are leading the competition — Marcus was Maryville’s sixth man on the O-line rotation last season — but Cole Pinkerton, Ryan Henry and Quincey Prigmore are also in the mix.
“It’s down to about five or six kids competing for two spots,” Hunt said. “It’s been interesting. It’s been fun. And to me, that’s the most important battle going on right now. More important than even the backfield.”
Maryville’s running backs are another intriguing position battle. Price Davis graduated and left a void of a pair of 1,000 rushing-yard seasons to fill. Senior Cam Porter is first in line to fill Davis’ old spot — he totaled 138 yards and a touchdown in back-up duty last season — but the Rebels are weighing plenty of other options. Cohen Babelay, a Tennessee Tech commit for baseball, came back to football after two years off, while Brenton Campbell and Ty Tomberlin are expected to provide depth.
Maryville’s No. 2 receiver, Colton Foust, is now the group’s de facto leader after four of the top-five receivers graduated. Tory Beaufort transferred in from Bearden after an AllState junior campaign and should give the Rebels’ a shot in the arm. Hunt called Beaufort “one of the best players in the state.” Julian Douglas had a great preseason after moving from tight end to receiver, Bryson Barrett and Andrew Smith are both starting defensive backs that can contribute offensively, while kicker Hudson Jamerson caught three touchdowns from the H-back position and is working with the offense.
“I think we’ll be real competitive,” Hunt said. “I think we’ll be able to move the football. We’ve still got some competition in the
MARYVILLE
PRINCIPAL: Heather Hilton
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Landon Harris
HEAD COACH: Derek Hunt (9th season) 96-16; Playoffs 26-6
ASSISTANT COACHES: Michael Bosco, Lamar brown, Kenny Cobble, Dakota Crews, Adam Hendricks, Jason Hicks, Dylan Morgan, Nick Myers, Chad Ramsey, Joe Robinette, Jeremy Russell, Ryan Tallent, Ricky Upton, Brandon Waters, Chase White, Mike White, Nick White
The Rebels stay put in a mostly-unchanged Region 2-6A. Oak Ridge, which reclassified up from Class 5A, is the lone addition. Bearden, Bradley Central, Cleveland, Farragut and Hardin Valley make up the rest of the seven-team region.
2025 SCHEDULE
08.22 at Alcoa
08.29 Knox West
09.05 at Bearden *
09.12 at Cleveland*
09.19 Farragut*
09.26 at Hardin Valley*
10.03 at Cookeville
10.10 bye
10.17 Science Hill
10.24 Bradley Central* 10.30 Oak Ridge*
• Region 2-6A contest
100: This season will mark the 100th team in Maryville football history. Maryville’s first ever football season was in 1926, where it went 7-1-2. Over their first 99 years, the Rebels are 867-236-33.
It has been six years since Maryville’s last state championship in 2019. The last time Maryville had a state-title drought of six or more years was when it went 20 seasons between championships from 1978-98.
100: 6: 15:
For the first time in 15 years, Maryville will open the season with the Battle of Pistol Creek. The 97th meeting is set for Aug. 22 at Alcoa, and Maryville will be looking to get back in the rivalry’s win column.
Cam Porter
MARYVILLE 51, Heritage 0
MARYVILLE 31, Knox Central 0
MARYVILLE 38, Bradley Central 0
MARYVILLE 35, Knox West 14
MARYVILLE 23, Science Hill 17
MARYVILLE 49, Hardin Valley 7
MARYVILLE 62, Bearden 28
MARYVILLE 37, Cleveland 15
ALCOA 24, Maryville 17
MARYVILLE 28, Farragut 21
PLAYOFFS
MARYVILLE 49, William Blount 24
MARYVILLE 42, Science Hill 7
MARYVILLE 41, Bearden 20
OAKLAND 21, Maryville 13
Maryville opened the year with a dominating defensive streak of 14 consecutive shutout quarters. The Rebels got revenge on Bradley Central, picked up quality road wins at West and Science Hill, then routed Bearden on Rivalry Thursday. A Pistol Creek loss to Alcoa was Maryville’s only defeat, but it rebounded with a huge rally at Farragut before making it back to the Class 6A semifinals.
backfield and we’ve still got some competition on the O-line, and we’ve got to improve if we want to be as good as we hope to be.”
DEFENSE
Maryville’s defense saw the most turnover of all three phases, but two key returners in the secondary, one on the line and one at linebacker should bring some stability to a group
‘If we learned anything last year, we learned that we’re still one of the best football teams in the state. We proved that last year that we’re really close. ’
Derek Hunt,head coach
still learning its identity. Lots of reserves, who saw varying field time as the Rebels held opponents to 14.1 points per game and a turnover margin of plus-15, will have to step up on a defense that’s replacing more than half its starters.
Seniors Andrew Smith and Bryson Barrett return for the Rebels in the secondary. Barrett, who led Maryville with four interceptions last season, has one of the cornerback spots locked down, while Smith will command the secondary at safety. Junior Chase Tucker is expected to step into a starting job at the second safety position, while Cohen Babelay, Ivan Vananda and Brenton Campbell are battling for the second spot at cornerback.
Senior linebacker Jaxson Rutledge and senior lineman Mack Serr are Maryville’s only returning starters among the defense’s front seven. The Rebels have a few options of bench players last year who could see increased roles, such as Wyatt Wilbur and Mayson Ball. Tomberlin is also in the mix at linebacker, while junior Beau Wise could slot in at multiple positions on the defense.
Serr led Maryville with 4.5 sacks, but their top tackler, Matthew Covert, graduated, as did Jonah Arms, Zak Hampel and David Crawford — all of whom recorded at least 52 tackles.
“We’ve got a lot of fresh faces on the D-line that we’ll have to get going pretty quickly,” Hunt said. “I feel really good about linebackers and DBs. I think we’re more physical in the secondary this year than we probably have been in a while.”
LAST SEASON
Junior Dax Cole might be the most important incoming Rebel on the defensive front. He totaled 34 tackles and a safety in a smaller bench role as a sophomore last season, but the Rebels have raved about his progress in the weight room. Cole, who was listed at 195 pounds last season, has added 15 pounds of muscle and seems primed for a leading role on Maryville’s defense.
“He’s a freak,” Hunt said of Cole. “He’s a war daddy in the weight room. Can run, smart, great kid. Super fun to coach. He’s going to have a fantastic year.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Maryville returns two of its most under-theradar weapons, seniors Hudson Jamerson and Mack Serr in the kicking game.
Though it’s a little more common in Class 6A, not every high school football team has one kicker, let alone two, who could be described as automatic. Jamerson and Serr
were both that good for the Rebels. Jamerson went 6-for-8 on field goals, including a long of 42 yards, and converted 59-of-61 point-after attempts (97%). Serr, the backup kicker, was a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs in mop-up duty. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Serr has the loudest leg and handled kick-off duties, while both Jamerson and Serr punted at times.
“A kick game can win or lose your games in a hurry,” Hunt said. “And so to have guys with experience that have done this before is a big deal.”
Another name to watch in the kicking game is senior Colin Stringer. He played football during his first two years in high school but took last season off to focus on soccer. Stringer has another electric leg that could factor into the mix, as he was an All-District player on the soccer pitch last spring.
— Josh Lane
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Tory Beaufort transferred in from Bearden for his senior season. He was a TSWA All-State wide receiver with 51 receptions for 885 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for more than 300 yards.
Maryville has played its share of close games with Knox West, but an interesting wrinkle is that the former state champion coach Lamar Brown, who carried West to state titles in 2022 and 2023, is a defensive assistant at Maryville.
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Maryville will host Oak Ridge in its regular-season finale. The Rebels are 7-3 all-time against their new region-mate, but the two have not played since 2011. Maryville won that last meeting, 31-6. Oak Ridge hasn’t beaten Maryville since
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Mack Serr
GOVERNORS
BlountWilliam
Fresh off playoff berth, Govs looking to shock 5A
illiam Blount’s Robert Reeves measures the journey by steps of improvement. The fourth-year head coach took the Governors from winless in his first season to a winning record in his next, then a playoff berth last year. As the Govs bump down to Class 5A, WB is looking to continue building on those incremental steps of success.
“Probably the thing I’m most proud of is, just truthfully, the way our kids conduct themselves,” Reeves said. “I know that’s cliche, but I don’t really have to go tracking down a lot of people not doing their homework or doing their schoolwork. I really believe when I took this job, we could take care of those small things like a clean uniform, a clean locker room, that the other stuff takes care of itself. It really truly does because those little things matter. If you pay attention to the small details, I think those big things will take care of ourselves. We’ve been blessed in a lot of ways.”
The little things have indeed paid off for the Govs on the field.
After posting a winning record in 2023, the 2024 campaign ended with a trip to the 6A playoffs — WB’s first postseason berth since 2019. The elusive playoff win hasn’t been achieved since 2007.
Winning games they aren’t supposed to — and not losing games they’re supposed to win — has been the message Reeves has preached to the Govs ahead of 2025.
“I know a lot of people will say, ‘Well, there’s no way you can beat Powell. There’s no way you can beat Halls. There’s no way you can beat West,’” Reeves said. “The next development is we got to find a way to beat some of those guys.”
The offseason has not been easy, aside from on-field development. William Blount suffered loss in their football family with the sudden death of Shannon Nabors. The hard times emotionally have revealed a lot about the Govs and how close-knit they are.
Persevering through the trials taught proved there is something bigger than football within the Govs’ locker room. The players care for each other and Reeves can tell a true brotherhood has been beat.
With a tough schedule ahead and a band of talented returners, nothing will be tougher than what the Governors have already overcome off the field.
“Pray for the Govs,” Reeves said. “It’s hard for me, but it’s really hard for our kids.”
OFFENSE
William Blount’s offense returns its backfield with sky-high expectations. Quarterback Jaxon Dabrowski returns after a season where he threw for just under 2,000 yards while completing 135-of-235 passes for 19 touchdowns. He ran for 522 yards and eight touchdowns.
Next to him lines up Ayden Kline, the steady running back who ran for almost 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. The hardest part of the offense has been figured out for the Govs.
What can take the WB to the next level is its wide receivers. Jadyn DeHart is
Jaxon Dabrowski
KEY LOSSES
The Govs are fortunate to returns most of their production, but losses still take some key pieces from the 2024 season. Aidan Telfer leaves the Govs and heads to Carson-Newman after earning All-Region honors, and joins teammate Luke Watkins, an offensive lineman. Wide receiver Keegan Swank also heads to the college ranks. Darius Brooks, a key piece of the 2024 team at running back and linebacker, was also lost to graduation.
RISING STARS
WB coach Robert Reeves can’t hide his excitement for Gavin Robinson and Braden Bird. The pair of sophomores have impressed in practice and will be part of a strong crop of young talent. Robinson, a 5-foot-10 and 160-pound speedster, will man both defensive back and receiver. Bird has more size at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, slotting him at linebacker and tight end.
ROSTER of GOVERNORS
Harbin
Pittman
Teuscher
another returner who can have a strong season alongside young talent like Major Dean and Mason Propst. Gavin Robinson steps up into a varsity role after playing his way into freshman team MVP talks.
Braden Bird, affectionately nicknamed “Little Grunt,” stands at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds as a sophomore — giving the Govs size in the passing game. Tae Williams, Fisher Newman and Braiden Noble round out the receiver group. Pairing a deep receiver corp with an experienced quarterback gives the Govs a high ceiling.
“When the team plays us, they got to look out there and go, ‘OK. Well, you got this receiver, he’s pretty good,’” Reeves told The Daily Times. “’Oh, this guy’s also pretty good over here. Wow, guys, we really have to figure out a way to to bracket these two receivers. Well, we do that, then that opens up a lot of running opportunities.’ Or you got to say, ‘Hey, we got to stop the run because they got a really good running quarterback and a really good running back. So then to do that, I got to equalize the box. I got to play man on the outside.’
“We got a couple good receivers that can make you miss. There’s some good stuff. I’m really excited. Just want to stay healthy, stay
The Govs have gone 18 years without a playoff win — the next big goal for the program. Coming off a playoff appearance last year, WB is seeking to go one step further.
locked in. I think this thing can do some really nice things.”
If Reeves has his way, the Govs will be able to run the ball at will. The way Army plays football is right up his alley, but the Govs are aiming for more balance.
Leading the charge will be an offensive line that returns most of its production, including several veterans who have been moving weight. Senior Tobey Criss will be the leader on the line and has put up monster numbers in the weight room, including squatting over 500 pounds and benching over 300. Senior center Colton Hitchcock will handle snapping duties and has embraced everything that has come with that position.
Alex Blackburn and Carter Kagley will man the tackle spots. Reeves still wants to see more consistency from his line, but the group could become a strength if everything clicks.
“That’s exciting,” Reeves said. “They got trial by fire. So this year, hopefully, some of that will pay off for them.”
DEFENSE
WB’s defense, under coordinator Jeff Cortez, has high expectations. The injury bug has struck the Governors in camp, with Carson Telfer sidelined until a couple weeks into
After setting a program record with 363 points scored in the 2023 season, the Govs took a step back and put up 290 in 10 regular season games.
PRINCIPAL: Derrick Crabtree
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Wendy Petty
HEAD COACH: Robert Reeves (4th season) 10-21; Playoffs 0-1
ASSISTANT COACHES: Julian Allen, Drew Blair, Ryan Bolinger, Jeff Booker, Chadd Clabough, Jacob Cortez, Jeff Cortez, Noah Davidson, John Erdman, Tyler Graves, John Henson, Kevin Kelly, Blake St. Clair, Bruce Suddarth
THE GOVERNORS
COLORS: Blue & Orange
CLASS: Region 2-5A
HOME: Mike White Field
PLAYOFF RECORD: 4-14 in 14 appearances
REALIGNMENT
The Governors dropped down from Class 6A to 5A. Their new home is Region 2-5A, where they replace Heritage alongside the likes of Powell, Hall, Knox Central and Knox West. Campbell County, Clinton and Karns are also newcomers to round out the only eight-team region in the classification.
2025 SCHEDULE
08.22 Loudon
08.29 at Austin-East
09.05 Clinton* 09.12 Powell* 09.19 at Halls* 09.26 Karns* 10.02 at Heritage 10.10 bye 10.17 Knox West* 10.24 at Knox Central* 10.31 at Campbell County
• Region 2-5A contest
WB ended the season on a four-game losing streak, including its playoff loss to Maryville. With a strong region slate, the Governors are looking to end the season on a much higher note than a year ago.
Jadyn DeHart
WILLIAM BLOUNT 36, Austin-East 12
KARNS 26, William Blount 21
HERITAGE 35, William Blount 14
WILLIAM BLOUNT 34, Mo.-East 33
WILLIAM BLOUNT 55, West Ridge 13
SCIENCE HILL 55, William Blount 28
WILLIAM BLOUNT 62, Union County 15
DOBYNS-BENNETT 28, William Blount 14
SODDY DAISY 17, William Blount 14
JEFFERSON COUNTY 34, William Blount 14
PLAYOFFS
MARYVILLE 49, William Blount 24
William Blount followed up a winning season in 2023 with a losing record, but it brought the program’s first playoff berth since 2019. The Govs ended the season with four-straight losses, including a season-ending defeat to Maryville in the first round, to cap off the season.
the season, but the rest of the group has been solid.
“I really feel like this group, it’s going to be harder for people to run on us because we’ve got some guys that can really run fast,” Reeves said. “We got some guys that are big and strong. We got some guys that don’t mind hit-
‘“I know a lot of people will say, ‘Well, there’s no way you can beat Powell. There’s no way you can beat Halls. There’s no way you can beat West,’” Reeves said. “The next development is we got to find a way to beat some of those guys.’
Robert Reeves, head coach
ting you — a little nasty. I think the defense could do some really good things this year for us.”
Caleb Henson returns after being the Govs’ second-leading tackler last season at the linebacker spot. Carter Hubbard will highlight
GoodLuckto allarea Football Teams!
the defensive line. The 6-foot-4 Jace Boyd will also be a strong option on the defensive line. Eladio Eggleton, a senior, round out the bunch on the defensive line that the Govs will lean on.
Reeves feels like WB left some wins on the field, in games like Soddy Daisy, where one third-down or fourth-down conversion snowballed into a loss.
“You got to bow your neck,” Reeves said. “You’ve got to get down and put your hand in the dirt and get dirty. You might have to have a good bloody nose. Your nose may be sideways. Man, it’s funny. I told a kid today, I said, ‘Hey, there’s certain positions on the football field you got to be a little crazy to play.’
“I really feel like for these kids recognizing that third down is that toughness or, hey, it’s third-and-one, we got to get that yard. We got to be gritty. We got to be tough. We got to fight.”
Justin Barrera is one of several senior corners who will rotate in the back of the defense, but it will start in the trenches for the Govs with a group that can get off the field and win those battles.
SPECIAL TEAMS
There’s no question who will be the William Blount place kicker. In fact, he’s the only
kicker. Ayden Tyler will man the kicking duties for the Govs. He’s worked back to 50 yards and further during the offseason. Normally a soccer player, Tyler has adopted football and the future opportunities it could bring.
“He’s worked really hard,” Reeves said. “He started as a freshman and sophomore, now he’s a junior. He had to come in and kick some as a freshman. He had to kick some last year. Obviously he got better, and this year, he’s getting strong. He’s kicking it in the end zone now. He’s getting long field goals. We don’t ask him to, but he can. Probably one of the best onside kickers I’ve ever seen. He’s really talented at it.”
As for returning punts and kick, it’ll be by-committee for the Govs until someone steps forward . DeHart, Gavin Robinson, Kline and Propst have worked out at that position, but Reeves is looking for the person who will get vertical the most.
Dabrowski will continue the tradition of quarterbacks that punt. It offers the Govs an
opportunity to make the most of mistakes with the quarterback and running back in the backfield on punts. Fakes will be a constant worry for opposing teams.
The same can be said for onside kicks, and the Govs showed some of that in their playoff game. Tyler got Player of the Game in the postseason loss for how much he changed the game on kickoffs.
Reeves will push on special teams to try and get the breaks — which could be the difference in close games.
“I told the kids, I said, ‘We’re going to come out here and we’re going to play hard and we’re going to go for it. We’re not giving up,’” Reeves said. “If you’re going to give us an onside kick, we’re going to take it.
“We want to use a special teams as a way to change the game. Whether it’s flipping the field over or making a big play on fourth down — a fake kick or a completion or something. To me, that’s a that’s a big deal.”
— Caleb Jarreau
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Where William Blount falls in the hodgepodge of its 5A region will be interesting. The region boasts traditional powerhouses like Powell, Clinton and Knox West along with recent risers like Halls.
William Blount’s offense has the talent, but how good will it be. Ayden Kline and Jaxon Dabrowski figure out some of the hard parts, but questions on consistency on the offensive line and young talent out wide add some unknowns to the group.
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Game No. 1 for the Govs is one that the group has circled as a tone-setter. WB is hosting Loudon for its season opener and expects a physical dogfight. The Govs added the game as a progress gauge.
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