Lions, Bucs lose players, still win

Few area high school football programs can match the success of Boyd-Buchanan and Red Bank. The Buccaneers have qualified for the playoffs 13 straight years and have reached four state finals in the last nine years, and Red Bank’s Lions have compiled a 60-14 overall record the last six seasons and won the state championship in the largest classification at the beginning of this decade.

While one big graduating class can sometimes take with it enough talent to cripple a program for several years, programs such as the Bucs and Lions continue to experience success.

“Our kids know they’re playing for tradition,” Bucs coach Grant Reynolds said. “We’ve had success in the past, and they know they’re representing everyone who has played here and what has been established. That’s a good kind of pressure.

“Our whole school climate is a family atmosphere, so when our kids see former players come back to watch games, they want to do well and carry on that tradition.”

Despite returning only three offensive and two defensive starters from last year’s Class 2A state runner-up team, Boyd-Buchanan (6-3) survived a brutal nondistrict schedule that included playoff teams Red Bank, Howard, Marion County and South Pittsburg to win its third straight league title and will host Unaka (6-4) in Friday’s first round.

The Bucs, who started a freshman quarterback much of the season, won four of their last five games, including impressively shutting down No. 2-ranked Copper Basin last week. Although they were inexperienced at most positions, the return of linebacker Ross Keasler and Hayden Meadows helped the Bucs defense hold opponents to an average of just three points in their six wins.

“Ross and Hayden are great leaders and kids who have experienced a lot of success and know how to set the example of doing things right,” Reynolds said. “It took most of the season to get there, but we’ve had some capable underclassmen step in and fill some key roles.

“Every year our goal is to win the district and compete for the state championship. We realized one of those goals last week when we won the district again, and I think playing such a tough schedule has gotten us ready for the playoffs.”

Red Bank graduated 23 seniors from last year’s 12-win team, all but three of whom were starters. More than half of this year’s 21-member senior class had no prior varsity experience. While the Lions’ streak of five consecutive district or region titles was snapped, they won their last three games by an average of 30 points and qualified for the playoffs for a seventh straight season. The Lions (6-4) beat three playoff teams, including two district champions, and will host Page (6-4) on Friday.

“You know it’s part of the high school game, but it’s tough to overcome having big senior classes and start over so often,” said Lions coach Tim Daniels, who has had 25 players sign college scholarships in the last seven years. “It’s a credit to the kids in the program for buying into what we’re doing and the demands we put on them.

“We’ve been blessed with talent and overachievers, and this year’s team has been very unique in the sense that they have handled every type adversity that could be thrown at them. They just keep finding ways to keep going.”

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.