Kickoff: 2022 High School Football Preview

GREENBACKLENOIR CITY LOUDON

Re-branded,

redefined: an intense high school football rivalry dating back to 1923

A“sophomore” assistant football coach at Loudon High School, who began his second school year at LHS removed from his life-long home in football-rich Ohio, and a talented freshman free safety/quarterback at Lenoir City High School were key components when Battle of the Bridge was unveiled in 1995.

Having re-branded and redefined an intense high school football rivalry dating back to 1923, Battle of the Bridge in 2022 “is the biggest thing going in Loudon County, by far, event-wise,” said Jeff Harig, that “sophomore” coach now in his 19th season as Loudon head coach while also LHS athletic director, as The Battle has become more than just a huge football game.

“There’s nothing that unites Loudon County more than that game, and that week” leading up to the game, he added.

After a Loudon player graduates, “Everybody who leaves this program is defined by that game,” Harig said, adding that when people ask, “‘How did you do your senior year?’ They don’t mean, ‘what was your record?’ They mean, ‘what did you do against Lenoir City?’”

That Lenoir City freshman from 1995, now LCHS athletic director Christopher Brittain, enthusiastically agrees. He helped the Panthers win that first Battle of Bridge game 10-6.

“I feel like the rivalry has grown; I think social media and stuff like that allows it to be promoted more,” said Brittain, who although on the losing end of his final three Battle games, got the last laugh of his Panthers career in the 1998 playoffs.

“We left Loudon with a victory (28-10),” said Brittain, who quarterbacked the Panthers’ triumph while starting at free safety.

About going against a Loudon receiver who was a former Panther, “I remember taking great pride in making sure that I hit him as much as I could,” recalled the LCHS AD, who has lived in Lenoir City since moving from Houston in the fifth grade. “I didn’t let him catch a ball.”

Overall in five games versus Loudon, “It was usually the biggest crowd of people you played in front

of,” said Brittain, a former Panthers assistant coach (2005, 2008-2015, 2018) entering his third full season as AD and second as an assistant principal.

Harig and the Redskins lead the overall Battle series 18-9, while Loudon also leads the all-time series versus Lenoir City 53-42 — though LCHS has grown to be the bigger school, classification-wise, in the past 20 years or so.

While Harig’s own Battle of Bridge record as a head coach is 13-5, Lenoir City head coach Gary Dugger will participate in his first Battle game later this month.

With its current three-game winning streak heading into The Battle’s 2022 edition, Loudon travels to LCHS’s Cecil Thomas Field, which will be the Panthers’ first home game played on its new artificial surface, for the 28th Battle of the Bridge and 96th meeting overall. Opening kickoff set for 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 26.

“We’re going to have a huge tailgate on campus,” Brittain said. “Battle of the Bridge will bring in a ton of people.”

Battle of Bridge creation

“Used to be it was common for both student bodies to somewhat prank the other side,” Harig said, which included putting detergent into town fountains. “It turned into trying to ‘one-up’ each other — some of it turned into vandalism, things that just really took away from the game.”

Battle of the Bridge became the football rivalry tag in the mid-1990s after both schools’ leaders thought, “how can we take this rivalry and turn it for the positive?” Harig said.

Good Samaritans

From the human-interest level, both schools “do a food drive that supports the Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County,” Harig said about Battle week.

The school collecting the most food per pound/per student “wins Battle of the Bridge Food Drive,” he added.

How important is the Battle of Bridge effort for Good Samaritan Center? “Between all the schools raising money and collecting food, we

generate about 80 percent of the Good Samaritan food they raise for a calendar year,” Brittain said.

Commemorative ball

Every year since the rivalry was branded Battle of the Bridge, a commemorative ball painted with each team’s school colors — red and white for Loudon and orange and black for Lenoir City — is presented on the field just before the opening kickoff.

The visiting team has possession of the ball on game day, with each team having “student council” members taking the commemorative ball “from one school to the other” just before kickoff, Harig said.

“Students will be escorted by police,” Brittain said.

“They then run the ball onto the field to hand to the referee for the kickoff,” Harig said.

“The whole ceremony is done, but they do transition out to a regular football,” Brittain said.

But if either a Panther or Redskin returns the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown, his name, signature and accomplishment are written on the commemorative ball.

One Loudon player has done that: D’Andrea Miley returned the 2007 game’s opening kickoff 87 yards to paydirt.

Other series history

In 1923, Lenoir City blanked Loudon 26-0 in the series’ first game. The Panthers won the first three games before the Redskins finally broke through in 1926, shutting out LCHS 14-0.

Loudon has won at least three straight games in this series nine times, with the biggest streaks being five straight from 1966 through 1970, six in a row from 1981 through 1986, and seven consecutive during the Battle of the Bridge era from 2005 through 2011.

Lenoir City has four other victory streaks of at least three games: six in a row from 1933 through 1938, four straight from 1977 through 1980, another four-win streak from 1990 through 1993 and three straight from 1959 through 1961.

LENOIR CITY HIGH SCHOOL

PANTHERS

Ayoung head coach is going back in time to find the right offense for his new football team. While new to the program at Lenoir City High School, Gary Dugger is introducing the single-wing attack.

With only four Panthers starters returning on offense, the team features a starting quarterback who has never taken one snap during a varsity game.

“And some of those kids we’ve moved to other positions just because we’re going to change the style of football from what they’ve previously done,” Dugger said about his run-oriented attack, which is a sharp contrast to the “last few years” at LCHS “where they’ve been air raid, they’ve been spread.

“When we evaluated the personnel that we have, we want to be a physical, kind of a downhill, smash-mouth team,” he added. “We’ll be a little more old school. We’ll do some things offensively that you don’t necessarily see when you turn on the TV every Saturday and Sunday.”

As for being familiar with single wing, “I’ve done that before. I’ve worked for a guy in Florida and in Alabama (who have) done it for a long time and had success with it,” Dugger said. “In 2019, I was a head coach in Florida for one year, and we had it in our package.”

As for making it successful at Lenoir City, “We can be good up front with our (offensive) line,” the new coach said.

Top offensive talent

That unit will be led by senior tackle Leo Gonzalez, a First Team All-Region selection and the Panthers’ biggest player at 6-foot-5, 300 pounds. “He has had a little traction going in terms of recruiting this offseason. He’s picked up four or five scholarship offers,” Dugger said.

Looking at film of Gonzales during varsity games, “when he gets his hands on you, he wants to impose his will and finish on top — a pancake,” the coach said. “… We hope what we do on offense suits his style of play.”

Moreover, “He’s got a reputation around town for being a tremendous person,” he added.

Senior tailback Chris McCord will look to fly through the holes Gonzales and other Panthers linemen make. “Chris has had a great offseason,” Dugger said. “He’s a kid who looks for every opportunity to work. … Good strength, good speed.

“In the open field, teams will have a hard time bringing him down,” the coach added.

Top defenders

Meanwhile, two of the team’s most talented defensive

See PANTHERS PREVIEW on Page 10

Dugger

Team photo courtesy of Bob McEachern Photographers, Inc.

2022 PANTHERS SENIORS

#4 Justin Thompson

#7 River Bailey

#76 Seth Corley

#24 Matthew Gray

#6 Chris McCord

#79 Derrick Ingram

#40 Brock Okri

#23 Gage Simon

#14 Gavin Vincil

#34 Makenzie Wilhite

#77 Leo Gonzalez

#55 Dalton Dukes #78 Kyle McCord

#65 Egan Rains

#1 Grayson Vincil

#52 Blade Yeager

Panthers senior not pictured: #51 Javier Cruz

PANTHERS

FOOTBALL ROSTER

1Grayson Vincil12FB/ILB

2Keller Cooper11TE/ILB

3Trey Wilhite11RB/S

4Justin Thompson12WR/OLB

6Chris McCord12RB/OLB

7River Bailey12WR/OLB

8Darius Bass10RB/CB

9Tristan Carino11RB/CB

10Carter Youell11WR/OLB

11Gabe Cannon10FB/S

12Evan Brown10WR/S

14Gavin Vincil12TE/CB

15Hayden Risher11TE/ILB

17Jordan Chadwick10WR/CB

18Eli Harrison10FB/ILB

19Jaxson Utter10WR/CB

20Michael Barrientos11RB/CB

22Channing McCord10RB/OLB

23Gage Simon12BB/ILB

24Matthew Gray12RB/S

25Joshua Garcia11WR/CB

26Isaiha Haley10WR/ILB

28Talan Brandenburg9RB/S

29Jovanie Ramirez9WR/CB

30Landon Maggard10TE/OLB

31Landon Lovingood9RB/ILB

32Trea Jones9RB/S

33Leland Patterson11BB/ILB

34Makenzie Wilhite12K

35Kaden Touton9WR/CB

37Connor Callahan9WR/OLB

39Preston Smith9RB/CB

40Brock Okri12RB/DL

41Ben Mullins9RB/OLB

42Josiah Armstrong10WR/S

43Ezekiel Silvey10WR/CB

44Jagger McKelvey9WR/CB

45Josiah Rittenhouse9BB/ILB

48Luke Chadwick9RB/OLB

50Josh Phillips10OL/DL

51Javier Cruz12OL/DL

52Blade Yeager12OL/OLB

53Beau Hood9OL/DL

54Conner Richards10BB/ILB

55Dalton Dukes12OL/ILB

56Jon Burns9OL/DL

57Paden Norris11TE/DL

58Jaxon Brown9OL/DL

59Alessandro Godoy11OL/DL

61Nathan Bailey11K

62Tanner Byus10OL/DL

63Angel Garcia11OL/DL

64Toby Kennedy10OL/DL

65Egan Rains12OL/DL

67Bubba Willis9OL/DL

68Riley Skidmore10OL/DL

73Kevin Palmer11OL/DL

74Riley Pawlick9OL/DL

75Bryson Daugherty10OL/DL

76Seth Corley12OL/DL

77Leo Gonzalez12OL/DL

78Kyle McCord12OL/DL

79Derrick Ingram12OL/DL

80Andrew Lucas10WR/ILB

87Josh Adak11TE/ILB

LENOIR

CITY HIGH SCHOOL

“When we evaluated the personnel that we have, we want to be a physical, kind of a downhill, smashmouth team. We’ll be a little more old school. We’ll do some things offensively that you don’t necessarily see when you turn on the TV every Saturday and Sunday.,”

~ Lenoir City High School head coach Gary Dugger

LENOIR CITY HIGH SCHOOL

Panthers Preview

“He’s done that the past couple of years, wildcat packages and stuff like that.”

players — among five Panthers returning from last season on that side of the ball — seem eager to lead in any way, shape or form possible.

Senior Egan Rains is an All-Region defensive lineman who also starts on the Panthers’ offensive line.

As a leader, “I try my best to be vocal,” Rains said. “I try to focus on practicing what you preach, if you will.”

Though saying he’s naturally “a little more in the background when it comes to being loud, I’ve had to force myself into that position and go against my nature a little bit to be a successful leader on the team,” the senior added.

As a result, “I’m going to talk, I’m going to be loud,” he said. “I’m also going to lead by example and do what I’m pushing others to do.”

Senior linebacker/fullback Dalton Dukes also was a First Team All-Region honoree who earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.

“Dalton had about 97 tackles last year,” Duggan said.

About his responsibilities on defense, “I view it as a ‘quarterback of the defense,’ very much a leading position,” Dukes said. “Going after it, stopping the ball.”

As for slowing down the opposition, “especially on stopping the run, I think we’ll do very well at that,” the senior said. “We’ve got some good guys up on that line.”

The coach said Rains and Dukes “have stepped up as leaders in our program.”

“But our secondary, we’re not lacking their, either,” Dukes added.

In fact, junior free safety Trey Wilhite “will run our defense on the back end,” Dugger said. “He knows what we want to do in the secondary.”

McCord will be alongside Dukes at linebacker. “He had a good spring playing outside linebacker for us,” Dugger said of McCord.

From page 7 530

Helping on offense, also

The coach said Wilhite “will play some quarterback for us when we get into some more conventional spread sets. We’ll do some jet motion, power-read type of stuff, and Trey will be athletic enough to do that stuff in the backfield.

In describing himself offensively, Dukes said he’s “very much a blocking fullback” who will carry the ball in “short yardage” situations.

~ Alan Sloan

Lenoir City is a family friendly, progressive community with a Mayor and City Council focused on positive and sustainable growth. We offer several amenities such as The Venue at Lenoir City, The Claire Donahue Aquatic Center, Greenway Trails, access to water recreation, and many other possibilities for activities and experiences.

* Denotes Division I-3-5A Region game

The Venue at Lenoir City

Lenoir City Mayor Tony R. Aikens

Lenoir City Municipal Building

Lenoir

The Venueat Lenoir City

2022 PANTHERS CHEERLEADERS

Lenoir City High School cheerleaders for 2022-23 are, front row from left, Catherine Fields, Kylee Trego, Caylie Adams, Ava Rogers, Kailyn Compton and Kacie Eddinger. Middle row, from left, are Myah Preciado, Lesli Garcia, Maddie Pickel, Tamara Lara, Tori Bean, Emma Lathum, Devon Moore, Alex Perlov and Harper Wiley. Back row, from left, are Justice Curbow, Auburn Tilley, Bella Price, Eva Mizer, Brooklyn Rogers, Kadence Carr, Katy Stanley, Sypheria Bostic and coach Brittany McDonald.

Photo submitted by LCHS cheer coach Brittany McDonald

Brittany Ashin 865-851-5581 Debbie Haugan 865-816-3094

Peña

Malissa Eller 865-660-9319

Sarah Goins 865-888-6755

Haley Harb 865-202-5775

Chip Hicks 865-406-3359

Susan Hicks 865-406-3362

Kerri Johns

Jaime LeBlanc 423-252-9166

REDSKINS

After an 8-0 start last year, Loudon High School’s football team looked to be a legit threat to win a Division 1-3A state championship. The Redskins fell to Giles Co. in the quarterfinals of the playoffs and finished 11-2.

Head coach Jeff Harig, entering the sixth year of his second stint at the helm of the Redskins (19th overall), is confident his team will again contend for a state title.

“It’s gonna be a year of transition,” the coach said. “We lost an All-State quarterback and wide receiver. That’s gonna be big shoes to fill. But I think we got guys who will step up for us.”

Offense

Junior Will Ervin and sophomore Bronson Scrivner currently are battling to start at quarterback. Scrivener, said Harig, is more mobile; Ervin more experienced.

Leading the rushing attack for the Redskins will be junior Gavin Divine (6-2, 195). “We’re gonna feature him a lot,” Harig said. Senior Keifer Tatum (5-9, 175), a Farragut transfer, also will get time in the backfield

“They’ll be a good complement to each other,” the coach said.

Last season the Redskins looked to pass first. This year Harig is aiming to throw perhaps 40 percent of the time. The primary target will be senior Semy Turner, who has started the last three years.

“This guy brings experience,” Harig said of Turner. “… He knows what it takes to win. He’s a leader and playmaker for us.”

“I’ve been training every Saturday (in the off-season),” Turner said. “I’ve been working on catching, route-running, working on my speed. Really ready to get going.”

The offensive line, according to Harig, should be a team strength. Junior Nathan Greene (6-0, 245), All-Region last year, will play center. “He’ll be the strength of our offensive line,” Harig said of Greene. “Very consistent with his shotgun snaps … hard worker … a kid you can count on.”

Both guards also are returning starters: juniors Ayden Gibson and Demarcus Williams (5-10, 275).

Williams’s status is uncertain, however, because of personal reasons.

Senior Zack Arthur (6-0, 240) will fill one tackle position. The other is still open.

Defense

Harig runs a 3-4-4 defense, and is confident about his

See REDSKINS PREVIEW on Page 16

Harig

2022 REDSKINS SENIORS

#3 Semy Turner

#72 Zack Arthur

#40 Dillon Handshey

#22 Keifer Tatum

#5 Kwynton Chenault

#88 Luis Duran

#42 Austin Cherry

#30 Julio Flores

#16 Maddy Rossi-Dupas

#14 Braeden Fray

#64 Dominique Carroll

#34 Isaac Chavez

#10 Aaden Montooth #11 Adam Hawkins

#44 James Brown

#33 Chase Hodges

#14 and #11 photos courtesy of Bob McEachern Photographers, Inc. | All others by Alan Sloan Redskins senior not pictured: #60 Logan Wilson

REDSKINS FOOTBALL ROSTER

3Semy Turner12WR/DB/RET.

4Will Ervin11QB/DB

5Kwynton Chenault12Y/DE

6Eli Kelso10WR/DB/RET.

7Bronson Scrivner10RB

8Gavin Divine11RB/DE

9Jackson Collins11WR/LB

10Aaden Montooth12WR/DB

11Adam Hawkins12WR/DB

13Zane Lawhon11QB/DB

14Braeden Fray12WR/DB

15Seth Henley10

16Maddy Rossi-Dupas12OLB

18Sebastian Correa10RB/OLB

19Bodee Anderson10WR/DB

20Blaine Houston11RB/LB

21Caden Ridings10WR/DB

22Keifer Tatum12RB

23Aidan Wilkerson11WR/DB

Redskins Preview

From page 14

24Zane Lawhon11

25Scotty Fray11WR/DB

26Neyland Carroll10

27Conner Wilkerson11WR/DB

28Charlie Thomas10WR/LB

29Sean Knecht10WR/DB

30Julio Flores12Kicker

31Xavier Dills10

32Grady Jacobs11RB/LB

33Chase Hodges12

34Isaac Chavez12RB/LB

40Dillon Handshey12TE/LB

42Austin Cherry12TE/LB

44James Brown12RB/LB

50Hunter Stallings10OL/DE

53Malachi Sutton11OL/DE

54Clayton Scott11OL/OLB

55Bryson Bandy11

56Tyler Neubert10OL/DE

defensive line. Both ends, Divine and senior Kwynton Chanault (6-3, 185), were All-Region last year.

“Those are two guys who are really big-play guys, sack guys for us,” the coach said. The nose tackle position is still to be determined.

Senior Dillon Handshey (5-10, 195), the team’s top tackler last season, will lead the Redskins’ linebacking corps.

“A hard worker, great teammate,” Harig said about Handshey.

Other inside ‘backers likely will be sophomore Sebastian Correa (6-0, 180) and junior Blaine Houston (5-10, 160). “They played JV for us and are now trying to transition,” the coach said.

Senior James Brown (6-0, 205) will play on the outside. “Very coachable; brings a bigger presence to that position,” Harig said.

Senior Austin Cherry (5-10,175), a transfer from California, will man the other outside position. “He brings a toughness and athleticism to that spot,” the coach said.

Considerable senior experience can be found in the secondary.  Adam Hawkins  (5-8, 135) is “a small guy but goes

57Nathan Greene11OL

58Dylan Valleto10OL

59Chase Laawhon10OL

60Logan Wilson12OL/DE

61Alex Amburn10OL/DE

64Dominique Carroll12DE

70Demarcus Williams11OL

72Zack Arthur12OL

73Angel Lopez11OL/DL

74Tony Williams11OL/DL

76Luke Miller10

77Peyton Walenbach10OL/DL

78Josh Miller11

79Ayden Gibson11OL

81Skylar Gray10TE/OLB

85Peyton Wilson10WR/DB

88Luis Duran12OL/DE

89Rylee Henderson10

out there and makes plays,” Harig said. Aaden Montooth (5-9, 150) will be another corner.

Braeden Fray (5-9, 135) will play safety. “We ask our safeties to save the deep ball and he understands that,” the coach said. Sophomores Eli Kelso and Caden Ridings, and junior Aidan Wilkerson also can help at safety.

According to Harig, special teams struggled last year and remains unsettled this year. “It’s a work in progress,” he said.

Turner will return both kicks and punts. “He gives us a touchdown threat every time a team kicks to us,” Harig said.

Overall, “We got a lot of guys back who know how to win,” the coach said. “It’s just about building that core around them.”

~ Bill Howard

“It’s gonna be a year of transition ... But I think we got guys who will step up for us,”

~ Loudon High School head coach Jeff Harig

2022 REDSKINS CHEERLEADERS

Loudon High School cheerleaders for 2022-23, front row from left, are KJ Osborn, Sydney Jett, Captain Kadance Ferguson, Keylee Wallace and Adalyn Nanni. Second row, from left, are Kara Ferguson, Tyla Fee, Co-Captain Kyndal Swain, Hadassah Feezell, Irene Martin Moreno and Jayden Cesare. Back row, from left, are Serenity Rowe, Sophia Eller, Shaella Rolen, Shay Wilson and Sophie Cubberly.

REDSKINS HIGH SCHOOL 2022 SCHEDULE

Aug. 19...................................Soddy Daisy.................................................7:30 p................Home

Aug. 26...................................Lenoir City.....................................................7:30 p.................Away

Sep. 2......................................Sweetwater*................................................7:30 p.................Away

Sep. 9.....................................Gatlinburg-Pittman..................................7 p.m..................Away

Sep.

Sep.

Sep.

Oct.

Oct. 14.....................................OPEN

Oct.

Oct.

CHEROKEES

Looking to use experience, more depth and improved physical strength to erase memories of a rare loosing season in 2021 (3-7), Greenback football is hoping 16 returning starters can restore the program’s normal state-championship contending ways.

“That’s big for us. We played a lot of sophomores last year, and they got good experience,” Cherokees head coach Ethan Edmiston said. “… That junior class is really talented.

“We were young last year. It was kind of a growing year. … We had a lot of injuries as well,” he added.

“But I’m really excited about this year. … I’m excited about this group we have. They’re working hard together.”

In his second season as Greenback skipper, the eighth as a high school head coach and 14th as a coach overall, Edmiston said he expects his Cherokees “to take a big step in the right direction this year.”

Top players

Isiah Flowers, senior defensive tackle/end and offensive tackle, “was having a really good year last year when he got injured and missed the second half of the season,” Edmiston said about one of his team captains. “It hurt not having

him out there.

“He’s a big, athletic kid; he goes hard every play,” the coach added. “He’s got a good attitude, a good leader.”

Moreover, “He had a really good off-season in the weight room,” Edmiston said.

Caden Lawson, junior quarterback/defensive back who earned First Team All-Region honors in 2021, “is a big, tall, athletic, strong kid,” the coach said. “He’s a got a big arm and he runs the ball.”

Lawson filled in when the starting GHS quarterback was injured last season and led the Cherokees to a big win versus Oliver Springs.

“He was voted as a captain as a junior, so he’s got respect from his teammates,” Edmiston added. “I expect him to have a big year for us.”

Junior middle linebacker Landon Clifford, another First Team All-Region honoree in 2021, “had over 50 tackles last year,” his coach said

The Cherokees defensive backfield and starting receivers return intact.

Michael Payne, a junior cornerback who earned All-State honors in 2021, “had five interceptions at the corner,” Edmiston said.

Juniors Kooper Williams and Connor James, both First

Edmiston

GREENBACK PUBLIC SCHOOL

Jayden Deibler #33 Folsom Silver #79 L.T. Yates

#60 Isiah Flowers

senior not pictured: #35 Ashton Orr

FOOTBALL ROSTER

1Cody Lewis9th WR/DB

2Connor James11th WR/DB

3Madden McNeil 9th QB/LB

4Chad Davis10th WR/DB

6Caden Lawson11th QB/WR/DB

7Michael Payne11th RB/DB

8Jayden Deibler12th TE/LB

9Cade Breedlove8th RB/DB

12Luke Bowling11th WR/DB

14Kooper Williams11th QB/WR/DB

15Eli Tyson 11th TE/DE

Clifford11th

Workman11th

20Cameron Wilbur8th 56Luke Morris9th OL/DL 57Bryson Ownsby9th OL/DL 58Dalton Woodruff9th OL/DL 59Tate Anderson8th OL/DL 60Isiah Flowers12th OL/DL 63Teiryn Wayman9th OL/DL 65Justin Lett9th OL/DL 67Austin Munsey11th OL/DL 75Cooper Barrow8th OL/DL 76Jude Brown11th OL/DL 79L.T. Yates12th OL/DL 80Michael Little 9th WR/DB

EricMeyersDefensiveCoordinator,DB

PaulMaynardLinebackerCoach

AndyHibbettRunningBackCoach

RudyFurmanOffensiveLineCoach

MarcGilesSpecialTeams,DL

MattStevensWideReceiverCoach

MattAbbaFreshmenHC,WR/DB

TylerBishopFreshmenOL/DL

MarcusHuieWR/DB

TroyPriceFreshmenRB/LB

AleishaTeffetellerHeadTrainer

SunshineEaton

JasonLayLeadershipTeamChief

Good Luck to the Greenback Cherokees! 1010 E. Broadway | Lenoir City,TN 37771 (865) 986-4646 | WeGetEmSold.com August 2022 | KICKOFF 21

Cherokee Preview

From page 19

Team All-Region honorees last season, return as defensive backs and starting receivers.

Junior lineman Cade Brown “was big for us last year — mainly on offense; he’s probably our No. 2 lineman right now,” Edmiston said. “He’s also had a really good off-season” improving himself physical.

Junior defensive end Eli Tyson, yet another All-Region selection, “was third on our team in tackles,” the coach said. “He’s a high-motor kid all over the field.”

Due to injuries, Tyson also started “the last five or six games” at offensive tackle.

However, on offense, “He’s playing tight end for us right now,” Edmiston said. “He’s a very versatile kid who can play many positions. Athletic enough to play receiver and physical enough to play on the offensive line.”

Among newcomers, junior Austin Munsey “has made a lot of progress” while projected to start along the offensive line, Edmiston said. Sophomore Isaac Akins also will start up front.

“They’ll go both ways (also as defensive linemen) some,” the coach added. “But we have more depth than we had last year. … Keep our d-line fresh, which we weren’t able to do last year.”

Freshman defensive back Cody Lewis is making an impression. “So far in summer practice he’s done really well

at safety and wide receiver,” Edmiston said. “He’s playing well enough right now where we can move one of our (defensive backs) to linebacker and have him be a starter as a ninth-grader.”

Team strengths

As for a biggest team strength, “The No. 1 (thing) is the experience coming back,” the coach said. “It’s pretty rare to have eight returners on both sides of the ball.

“And we’re a lot (more physically) stronger than we were this time last year,” Edmiston added. “And we’ve got a good group of leaders, and they’re doing a great job of leading the younger guys this year.

“… Our (back-ups) are a lot more game-ready than the were last year. Last year we had 31 kids — and 10 of those were eighth-graders.”

Concerns

Despite improved depth, Edmiston said his biggest concern is “overall depth.”

Photo courtesy of cheer coach Haley Robinette

The 2022-23 Greenback School Cheerleaders (no names submitted).

~ Alan Sloan

“... we’ve got a good group of leaders, and they’re doing a great job of leading the younger guys this year.,”

~ Cherokees head coach Ethan Edmiston