They're so cute! Alcoa High School has approximately 500 students, whereas Maryville has over 1,500 students. They are small but feisty. I know, I know, it's football. They are tough hombres.

Beautiful shot. I hope he enrolls at his namesake university. Any reason to root for Vandy is good enough for me.

It was one of the better high school football games you'll ever see. Both sides played their hearts out. Packed house. Constant lead changes in the second half. Just an amazing game. Both teams did Blount County well. I'd be surprised if they both didn't win state championships this year.

Updated with link to more photos taken by the Mrs. and me at the game.

(This is the first time I've ever taken photos of a football game. Learned some stuff to work on next time.)

The fans for both teams did well. From our vantage points they were not mean to each other. In fact at one point we were in a mix of fans and each time something good happened for either team there was some backslapping.

Watched the game on TV..WOW!

Been watching High School football since 1963 when
my Dad took me & my brother to see the Tullahoma Wildcats
play the Chattanooga Central Purple Pounders.

The best game I ever saw was in 1969.

My team,the Athens High Trojans beat the Valdosta Wildcats,
28-28,in the Georgia State AAA Championship.

Yep,a co championship.For the '69 season there was no
overtime rule.It was a one yr rule change.

It was a "winning tie" for Athens High because we scored
a td & a two point conversion with seconds left on
the clock.

Valdosta was the number one ranked team in the nation.
And the game was @ Valdosta.

Andy Johnson was the Athens qb.Andy played @ Georgia &
was under center in the infamous '73 Ga-Tn game.

The "What to do on 4th & 2" game.

Bill Battle gambled late late in the game.
The score was UT-31 Ga.-28

UT called a fake punt on 4th & 2..on Ga's end of the field.

The gamble failed & Ga had the ball on around UT's
40.Andy scored a td & Ga won 35-31.

I digress.

Athens-Valdosta '69 state championship
Best game I ever saw.

Maryville-Alcoa '10
The second best game I ever saw.

Chattanooga Central has been around as long as Knox Central.

Chattanooga Central was orginally known as the
Purple Warriors.One of their colors is gold.

Guess what the other is.

However,sometime in the '30s,during an exceptionally
good year,a Chattanooga sports writter opined that the
Purple Warriors were "pounding" opponents.

It stuck & Chattanooga Central became the Purple Pounders.

On of the legends of Chattanooga Central is former head
coach,Red Etter.

His son,Bobby Etter,was the place kicker @ Georgia,from
'64 till '66.

They called him..Little Bobby Etter.

Bobby lettered in football,baseball & basketball.

I also saw Little Bobby Etter play baseball
& basketball.

Etter was a straight A student in math & is a math teacher
@ Sacramento State.

Headed off to watch my team,the Morristown West High Trojans,
play the Knoxville Central High Bobcats.

Going with my nephew,who played for MW, & my brother-in-law,
who went to our hated rival..Morristown East.

Of course,in my family,hating the Knox Central Bobcats is an old past time.

They all pulled for the Knoxville High Trojans.

In the historic gridiron battles between the Knox High Trojans & the Central Bobcats.

So..................

GO TROJANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beat the Bobcats!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is sweet music to our ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1969 was the last year for Athens High.

In '70 Georgia finally intergrated the high schools.

That year Athens High became Clarke County Central.

My sophomore year was the last for Athens High.
My junoir year was the first for Clarke Central.

Derrick Dooley played football for Clarke Central.

My Dad opened a shoe store in Morristown my senior
year.

I graduated from MW.

Athens High went 9-1 my sophomore year.
Morristown West went 1-9 my senoir year.

And,my junoir year,Clarke Central was the exact opposite of
the team depicted in "Remember the Titans."

The head coach of the black high school was regulated
to being a halfback coach.

Clarke Central was 7-1 & had to win to get to
the state playoffs.

We lost that Friday night

That Monday,at practice,there was a huge fight between the black players & the white players.

Athens High had no black players.Clarke Central & Morristown
West did but I don't recall the captains.

However,the tension was high on the 1970 Clarke Central
football team because it was the first intergrated
high school football team in Athens history.

Back then,when it came to race,Georgia was a tough place
to be.

Ole race baiting Herman Talmage & the author of
the Southern Manifesto,Richard Russell were Georgia's
senators.

The king of all race baiters was governor,Lester Maddox.

And the meanest,nastyist race baiter I ever
saw,J.B.Stoner,ran in the Democratic primary
for governor.

In the spring of 1970 a race riot exploded in
Athens due to the intergration of the high schools.

For the rest of the school year;police were in the halls,
parking lots & the cafeteria of Athens High.

So it's no suprise that a bunch of kids,on the
first intergrated football team,would have problems.