Longhorns

Star Photo/Ivan Sanders

The 2021 Johnson County High School Longhorns

Longhorns look to burst out of the gate early in 2021

BY IVAN SANDERS

STAR SPORTS EDITOR ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com

Connor Simcox Quarterback

MOUNTAIN CITY - The Johnson County Longhorns are hoping that 2021 will be better to them than 2020 and that is not only on the game front but the health front. After having to battle COVID in the first couple of weeks of the season, the ‘Horns finally were able to go back to work and ended their season by going 5-6 overall and 3-2 in the region which was good enough for fourth place. Their season came to an end at Alcoa being defeated 49-0. Head Coach Don Kerley is hoping for his team to get started off on the right foot in 2021. “All of our kids work hard and that is what you try to get to,” Kerley said. “Last year COVID got in everybody’s way but we have got a good group of kids and we just have to work hard and hope for the best. “We have six starters back on both sides of the football but there are a lot of new faces there too. “Usually, we get a few more when school starts but school is starting a little later this year and we are in the mid-40s. We hope to get about 10 more when school starts back.” Kerley is anxious to see how his team comes out of the gate this season Star Photo/Ivan Sanders and if there is one place that he is feeling pretty good about, he has an abun-

Johnson County High School dant group of linemen that should provide needed depth in the trenches. head coach Don Kerley “We have more senior linemen than what we have had in a long time so

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that should be a plus,” Kerley stated. “Usually, we have 50 players and eight linemen, and this year we have a dozen to 15 linemen which is a lot better and we have a lot of seniors in that mix.”

Kerley will be looking to senior Ethan Icenhour to provide leadership on the defensive side of the football but realizes there is still work to be done in the secondary especially after the Longhorns finished up their seven-on-seven competitions due to the youth.

Sophomore Conner Simcox will be back under center to lead the Longhorns offensively. Simcox had a solid seven-on-seven season utilizing several of the ‘Horns good receiving corps.

If there is a concern for the offense, it is at the running back slot where Kerley feels his team is thin. Kerley shared that senior Corey Neely will be his main back and that his team is just not blessed with that big back they have had in the past.

Coach Kerley was asked which game in the season will be the one where he knows exactly where his team stands for the 2021 season.

“The Chuckey Doak game usually determines who is going to be at the top or bottom of the conference,” Kerley commented. “When Coach Murphy was down there, we would beat them or they would beat us, and usually if we beat them he was like, “My season’s over,”. I would say you still have eight or nine games left and he would say it’s over.

“And sometimes that’s the way it is because conference wise it’s hard to catch back up. That’s going to be a big game. Hopefully, we get better all the way through. We have to avoid injuries.”

Asked if the redistricting hampered the way he had to schedule opponents in 2021, Kerley replied, “Nobody wants to play South Greene and they are on there. Nobody really wants to play Volunteer either but they are on there. Those are two pretty big teams to pick up.

“Scheduling was pretty tough for us.

The schedule is going to kill us because it’s tough. The conference is wide open every year. Basically, it’s going to be who can stay healthy.”

Johnson County joins West Greene, Claiborne, Unicoi County, and Chuckey Doak as the other conference teams. The ‘Horns will open their season on August 27th at Hampton.

2021 Johnson County Schedule

August

20 Open 27 at Hampton

September

2 at Chuckey Doak (Thursday)* 10 SULLIVAN EAST 17 at West Greene* 24 VOLUNTEER

October

1 CLAIBORNE CO.* 8 at Happy Valley 15 at South Greene 22 CLOUDLAND 29 UNICOI COUNTY*

ALL CAPS denotes home games. * denotes region games.

No. Name Class Position 1 Brenton Black 10 WR/DB 2 Evan Dollar 10 WR/DB 3 James Potter 10 WR/DB 4 Ethan Simcox 10 QB/DB/K 5 Carter Rhudy 9 WR/DB 6 Conner Simcox 10 QB 7 Aiden Fredell 10 WR/DB 11 Luke Worlock 9 WR/DB 13 Dalton Brown 12 RB/DB 16 Mason Sluder 9 WR/DB 17 Grinnan Walker 11 WR/FS 18 Nathan King 10 RB/DB 20 Nate Rice 12 RB/LB 21 Corey Neely 12 RB/DB 22 Jace Stout 9 RB/DB 24 Sam Cretsinger 9 WR/DB 25 Landell Walker 9 WR/DB 30 Nikolas Bigwood 11 FB/DE 31 Julianna Lisi 12 K 32 Hank Sauer 10 TE/DE 33 Noah McQueen 9 RB/LB 34 Kyle Sluder 9 RB/LB 42 Connor Gibson 9 FB/LB No. Name Class Position 44 Ethan Icenhour 12 FB/LB 50 Nick Speed 11 C 52 Trevor Henson 12 OL/LB 53 Aiden Sluder 11 OL/DL 56 Gavin Wilson 12 LB 64 Shawn Perkins 12 OL/DL 66 Nathaniel Sumerow 12 OL/DL 67 Jacob Earp 12 OL/DL 68 Gunner Hutchins 9 OL/DL 71 John Stout 12 OL/DL 72 Nate Dorman 9 OL/DL 73 Nemiah Willis 10 OL/DL 74 Angel Martinez 12 OL/DL 75 Noah Brown 9 OL/DL 76 Ayden Fallin 10 OL/DL 77 Daniel Stout 10 OL/DL

Head Coach: Don Kerley Mascot: Longhorns Colors: Maroon and White

Star Photo/Ivan Sanders

The 2021 Johnson County High School cheerleaders are (front L-R) Katie McCulloch, Gracie Grayson, Kaylee Anderson, Ashlee Anderson, Bella Phipps, Kirsten Day, and Hannah Walker. (middle L-R) Aviel Tester, Chloe Hopkins, Katie Lipford, Audrey Godines, Paiteen Carroll, and Madi Walker. (back L-R) Aleena Summerow, Allison Trivette, Coach Katherine Lewis, Adrianna Porter, and Ryleigh Icenhour. Not pictured: Jessie Mae Williams, Makenzie Poe, and Coach Michelle Walters.