The last time he was supposed to coach a playoff game at Sequatchie County, Dickie Brown was relegated to the bus because of his bus driver.

Brown is a former Bledsoe County coach who has returned in a roundabout way to York Institute, his alma mater. He'll be on the bus this time and will take his York football team to Dunlap on Friday to play the Indians.

Sequatchie County coach Chad Barger knows the story of Brown's absence from that 1994 game. He was there and lived it as a Brown-coached Bledsoe County player.

"He got ejected from a game with Smith County the week before, so he had to sit out the playoff game," Barger recalled. "Our bus driver said something to the officials and they thought Coach Brown said it, so he's the one that got ejected."

Sequatchie County is one of six Chattanooga-area teams participating in the Tennessee Class 3A state playoffs that begin Friday. The Indians are joined by Bledsoe County, Grundy County, McMinn Central, Polk County and Tyner.

Bledsoe is hosting Loudon, and Polk is at home against Kingston. Grundy, McMinn Central and Tyner will visit Goodpasture Christian, Christian Academy of Knoxville and top-ranked Alcoa, respectively.

Barger has a special place in his heart for Brown.

"He coached during some of the greatest times in Bledsoe County history," the Sequatchie coach said. "We set several records and hosted playoff games a couple of years. Coach Brown was a great coach to play for. He was a players' coach. I think there were some coaches then that didn't like him, but as players we would have run through a wall for him."

Brown said he enjoyed seeing Barger when the two swapped video Saturday.

"Chad was a very intense player. I wish I could have had more players like him over the years," Brown said. "He wasn't very big. We'd drop him down at noseguard even though he just weighed 155 pounds, and he'd succeed. He was that tough."

Brown also coached Central coach David Barger (Chad's brother) and current Bledsoe coach Jason Reel.

Neither Brown nor Chad Barger really sees their past relationship as an edge to either team.

"It is good to see that Chad's doing so well, but it has been 14 years since he played for me," Brown said. "I have changed offensive and defensive philosophies since that time."

Barger countered, though, indicating that certain personality traits don't change.

"Every coach varies and changes with the times. It has changed since I played," Barger said. "But I feel I know what adjustments he's likely to make, because I played for him. I think you'll see very similar teams. Both are physical and both will look to establish the run. It could be a nail-biter."

Brown coached at Bledsoe from 1990 to 2001 and then moved to White County, where he stayed through 2006. He moved to Clay County in 2007 and to York this season.