Pirates primed for state-title repeat

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — Amid all the hoopla and celebration of last year’s Class 1A state championship, before the bus had even returned from Murfreesboro, South Pittsburg’s Pirates were making plans to ensure a return trip.

“Shortly after we had won it, a lot of us were already thinking about what it would take to repeat,” coach Vic Grider said. “In the past, after winning a championship we lost most of our best players. This is a little unique because we have a lot of key guys coming back that know how to win.”

Because graduation typically depletes really good small-school teams, only two programs in Tennessee history have repeated in Class 1A — Trousdale County in 1997-98 and Alcoa in 1977-79. South Pittsburg lost 13 players from last season, but its tradition and the 14 seniors back this year make it a favorite to join that list and claim the program’s fifth overall state title. That would tie Trousdale County for the most in the classification.

“It’s a totally different perspective going into this season,” Grider said. “Last year we flew under the radar, but this year the bull’s-eye is squarely on us from day one. We have to go out and prove ourselves all over again.

“But I could tell from the very first day of spring practice that we’re hungry to do just that. The seniors want to leave their mark the same way last year’s group did, and this whole group of kids has been willing to pay the price to be really good again.”

Topping the reasons for optimism is David Jones, the state title game defensive MVP and all-state linebacker who also ran for more than 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns as a reserve fullback. Also back on offense are backfield mates Montrell Mitchell and Kartrez Bibbs and receiver Ty Robinson, and transfer Malcolm Jones brings additional speed to the receiving corps.

With all the backfield speed, the Pirates coaches are just as encouraged with the depth that has developed on both lines. Chase Robinson, Will Maynor and Matt Wayne are back on the offensive line, and besides being a solid blocker, Jijuan Fennell (6-foot-4, 220) is another receiving threat at tight end. None of the Pirates’ linemen will play both ways — another rarity in Class 1A.

“I think they’ll be at least as good but probably better than they were last year,” Silverdale Baptist coach John Allen said. “To be honest, I don’t see anybody beating them.”

The biggest question involves new quarterback Terrell Robinson (6-4, 190), a 2007 starting safety with very little experience running the offense.

“The concern is Terrell hasn’t proven himself in an actual game yet,” Grider said. “We know he’s got a great arm and a ton of ability, but he has to show everybody he’s capable of running the offense. He knows we’ve got a lot of weapons around him, so he doesn’t have to win games by himself.

“The bottom line is we feel pretty good about what we’ve got going into the season. But nobody is going to roll over for us. There are plenty of teams that aren’t intimidated by us, so our job is to take care of business and get better every week. If we do that and stay healthy, we could be in pretty good shape.”