East Ridge Pioneers
Coach: Tracy Malone (3-7 in one year here; 28-46 in eight years overall)
Last year: 3-7, breaking a three-year string of postseason appearances
'13 dreams: Potential district champ? The Pioneers aren't saying it aloud as a group but they're thinking it, and a couple of opposing coaches consider them as at least darkhorse contenders. Malone has 16 returning starters plus depth at all skill positions on both sides of the ball. Team speed is better at all positions and new defensive coordinator Mark Teague is taking his unit to a 4-2-5 alignment to take full advantage. Whether the Pioneers succeed could rest with junior QB Jo Jo Tillery and how he handles the ups and downs during and between games.
13-for-13 contenders: Best couple of players - Tillery is at the offensive controls but the highly athletic junior also will play at safety. It always helps to have a big, relatively quick lineman, like the Pioneers have in senior two-way tackle and deep snapper C.J. Baker. Fastest player on the team might be receiver/defensive back Seth Vaughn with a 4.5 40.
Number of interest: Kicker/punter Tad Whitaker is wearing No. 1 this year but wore No. 13 last year. Recruiters are calling Malone often and UTC is among those expressing interest in the strong-legged and academically-qualified youngster.
13 years ago: The Pioneers went 5-6, making the playoffs but losing to Knox Powell in a first-round playoff game in Tom Watson's last year as head coach. Meanwhile, Malone was an assistant for Murfreesboro Riverdale in the legendary snow-bound state finals game won by Red Bank. "I still say if it hadn't snowed we would've beat them," Malone said.
1-through-3:
Lineman C.J. Baker
Was last year a disappointment? "Extremely. At the beginning of the season, things were new and, yeah, we had a new coach but we had it in our minds that we'd be good. Nobody expected 3-7."
So what's the mindset heading into this season? "It's all about team. Everything is a team effort. You practice, win, lose and get punished as a team. Guys are willing to move to other positions, to sacrifice and the team is way more mature this year."
Are you thinking about college football? "I want to play football in college but I've been getting calls from wrestling coaches and some of them are talking about walking on in football. I guess because of [lack of football] success last season I've been thinking more about wrestling."
2013 Schedule
Aug. 23 Walker Valley
Aug. 30 @Notre Dame *
Sep. 6 @Central *
Sep. 13 Polk County
Sep. 20 @Brainerd *
Sep. 27 Loudon
Oct. 4 @Hixson *
Oct. 11 Red Bank *
Nov. 1 @Howard *
- District 6-AA game
2012 statistics
Passing C-A-I Pct. Yards TDs
Rushing Att. Yards TDs
Receiving No. Yards TDs
Roster
No. Name Class
1 Tad Whitaker Senior
2 Dominique Millener So
4 JoJo Tillery Junior
6 Mike Knox Senior
7 Kolbe King Senior
8 Seth Vaughn Junior
9 Cordarious Talley Senior
10 Tyler Walden Junior
11 Nakota Culver Senior
12 Paul Bembry Senior
13 Matthew Yarbrough So
14 Keion Jones Senior
15 Dquantis Jones So
16 Matthew Mapp Junior
17 John Engel So
18 Andrew Mapp Junior
19 Ty Kyser Fr
20 Jaquan orton So
21 Trey Hubbard Fr
22 Nigel Colbert So
23 Deangelo Johnson Junior
24 Darius Moore So
26 Quasey Vinson So
27 Monquel Hughes Junior
28 Dkobe Jordan So
29 C.J. Jones Senior
30 Mike Dyners Fr
31 B.J. Church Fr
32 Juwuan Simmons Fr
33 Charles Careathers Junior
36 Chris Callaham So
40 Thomas Conry So
42 Justin Hitchcock Senior
43 Jordan Harvey Fr
50 Johnathon Burden Fr
51 Regginald Marshall So
52 Dekederick Fisher Fr
53 David Meier Senior
54 Tommy Stewart Fr
55 Alex Goodwin So
59 Pete Sexton So
60 Ashton Beeman Fr
61 Jaylon Wright So
62 Anes Besic Junior
69 C.J. Baker Senior
70 Christian Castro So
72 Allen Lee Junior
73 Joseph Green Junior
75 Deondre Chambliss Fr
79 Ryan Young Senior
80 Jeremiah McKibben So
81 Josh Williams So